


Return of the Great Power: Book 3 - Living With The Power

by pink_green_white_4ever



Series: Return Of The Great Power [3]
Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 13:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2027325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_green_white_4ever/pseuds/pink_green_white_4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once again the team must learn to live everyday lives while possessing the Great Power. However, new tests are arising that they must pass to secure those lives.</p><p>A invitation to Australia by Kat's uncle could spell disaster for the Rangers, who must learn to work together on much more intimate levels. A new prophecy is found by an old friend that speaks of unimaginable danger that lays ahead for our heroes. Trust and relationships are tested as the Rangers find themselves being attacked when they least expect it, and dumped in a place where they must rely on each other for survival.</p><p>The team learns that if they thought living with their powers was hard before, they're in for a number of surprises as they struggle with maintaining a balance now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Missing Zordon

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 3 – Living With The Power  
Prologue: Missing Zordon  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: April 16, 2006

“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” -- Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.” -- David Searls

“Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys.” -- Alphonse de Lamartine

\--

9:00 A.M.  
Friday  
September 13, 2002  
Southside District  
Angel Grove, CA

“YOU SUCK!” the guy in the Armani suit and handcuffs hissed and snarled at Jason, who was dragging him toward one of the unmarked police cruisers.

“Tell that to me again, I love hearing that,” Jason joked, even as he stuffed the man in the back of his car. Since his arrival in Angel Grove, Jason had been working a high profile drug case. His team had finally managed to get enough evidence to make arrests. At eight o’clock, they’d gone in and took down the bad guys.

“Good work, Jason,” one of the lead detectives complimented.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Head back to headquarters everyone,” the detective announced, once all of the men arrested in the bust had been put into the backs of the police cars.

The ride back was uneventful for Jason. He and his partner laughed and joked about family and friends as they tried to ignore the two criminals in the backseat who were cussing and yelling and making a nuisance of themselves.

After booking the two they’d arrested, Jason and his partner sat down at their desks and began writing out their reports, which would be added to all the others from the team. Every few minutes, officers would come up and congratulate Jason, and after a while, it started getting annoying for the Green Ranger. It wasn’t until he was reading over his finished report that Jason had the oddest sensation ripple through him.

Blinking back tears, the Green Ranger hastily made his way out of the bullpen and out to the court yard where many of the officers sat on good days to eat lunch. Once he was away from the building, in a secluded corner of the courtyard, Jason dropped down on a bench and covered his face with his hands.

“You did exceptionally well in my absence, Rangers. You carried on like true heroes.”

Zordon. He missed the Eltarian Wizard’s calming presence, reassuring manner, but most of all, his unfailing guidance. Jason though about it, and realized he hadn’t experienced the sensations and feelings he was now since his first major bust after arriving in Frankfurt. Despite his time as Red Ranger, and his years of teaching martial arts, Jason occasionally had self confidence problems.

‘Would he be proud of me? Would he be proud of the live I’ve chosen?’

They were questions Jason had asked himself so many times before, and yet, he had no answers. He could only hope his mentor would have been happy with the choices he’d made in how he lived his life, and what he’d chosen to do in honor of the job he’d been given at fifteen, the same job he had taken up again a few months before.

\--

9:15 A.M.  
Cranston Industries  
Billy’s Office

Billy sat silently, staring at the computer screen, but he couldn’t see a word of what he’d typed. He had the briefest moment of self doubt as he was writing the program that needed to be finished in just days.

Closing his eyes, the Blue Ranger leaned back in his chair and took several deep breaths, hoping to calm the jumping in his stomach. ‘Am I doing the right thing? Did I make the right decision in coming back? Is this what he would have wanted for me?’

Billy felt the acute ache in his chest. Over the years, it had dulled considerably, but hurt almost as much as losing his mother had. Zordon had been friend, mentor, and confidant. His death had left a void in each of them that would never be filled. It was days like this, when the Blue Ranger felt the emptiness the most – days when it was quiet and he had a few precious moments to himself to think.

‘I miss you terribly’ he thought to himself before he let to lone tears slip down his cheeks.

\--

9:30 A.M.  
AG International Dance Academy and Performing Arts School  
Zack’s Office

Zack slammed the door to his office shut before he collapsed into his desk chair. He’d woken up that morning in a foul mood and hadn’t been able to shake it, or identify the cause. Some days he wondered why he was teaching, and other days he wondered if he was doing enough.

But it all boiled down to one point – he’d been given the chance to do something with his life and he wanted other kids to have the same opportunity.

‘If it hadn’t been for Zordon choosing me to be a Ranger, I’d have floated through life as a slick talking, fast joking ladies man and dance. Being a Ranger has given me the confidence to be more, to think outside the box.’

Zack sighed. He had snapped at his students for no reason, and now he was ashamed of his actions. ‘Patience. He never lost his patience with us, even when I know we tested it to the limits some days. I need to follow the example he set before us.’

Taking a deep breath, Zack stood and then froze. His eyes were glued to the picture on his desk. It had been taken shortly after the team had returned from Phadoes. They’d been goofing around at the base and had started a food fight after Rocky and Justin had started arguing. Alpha 6 had snapped the picture when flour and cookie dough had started flying across the kitchen.

‘Thank you for giving me a group of friends, a family, to share my life with,’ Zack thought, smiling, before he went back out to his students to apologize.

\--

10:00 A.M.  
Red Ninja Martial Arts  
Rocky’s Office

The first thing he did after entering his office following the meeting at the bank was pop some Advil. Normally, very few things got him aggravated these days, meetings with stuck up bank officials being one of them. “God! I hate pushy bank executives!” Rocky muttered, finishing the bottle of water he’d pulled out of his mini fridge.

Sitting at his desk, Rocky surveyed his office. There were pictures, awards framed newspaper articles, and the code his students learned, practiced and applied, not only to their martial arts but to their lives, displayed.

It was one picture in particular that struck him, causing his throat to clog. Tommy’s mom had taken it shortly after he, Adam and Aisha had joined the team. Tommy had planned a big welcome bash for the three of them and their families. The picture was from the party, but it was just the six of them. Billy was next to Adam on the right, Aisha and Kim were in the middle, and Tommy and he were on the other side of Kim. It had been so natural, the way they grouped together for the picture.

Those first few weeks had been kinda scary, adjusting to a new school, new friends, a new ‘job’, and a talking android and floating head.

The base didn’t seem the same without Zordon there, he admitted to himself. He had always felt sort of sorry for Tommy, Adam, Tanya, Kat and Justin, because the five had still been active when Zordon had left Earth for good. They had been subjected to being led by Dimitria, which probably wasn’t as bad as he thought, but Rocky knew it would have been too much change for him at the time.

‘Too much change at once is a bad thing sometimes’ he thought. He wondered, briefly, what Zordon would say to that. ‘He’d probably say we’re strong enough to withstand any change, any challenge that comes our way.’ Smiling, Rocky unlocked his desk drawer and pulled out another picture. It was one taken in the commander center right before Kim had gone to Florida. Kim and Tommy were locked in each other’s arms while he, Billy and Aisha were on Kim’s side and Adam and Kat were on Tommy’s. Alpha 5 was standing next to Adam and Zordon was behind them in his tube. It was funny to see them all together, and even funnier thinking about how long it had taken them to stop talking so Alpha could hit the remote for the camera.

‘The good old days. No matter what, we’re gonna make him proud.’

\--

10:45 A.M.  
Red Ninja Martial Arts  
Main Room

Justin smiled, watching Tommy and Adam demonstrate a move for the class they were teaching. Of all the guys, only he, Billy and Zack still hadn’t received their martial arts teaching certifications, but he and Zack were close, and Billy still had a ways to go. So it was fun for him to sit back and watch his friends work together. He wondered, briefly, how hard it had been for them to join teams that had already been through so much together.

For himself, it had been extremely difficult. Not only had he been taking Rocky’s place, he had been coming into a team already tempered by experiences he’d never share. Not to mention his age at the time of his first tour of duty had been a major factor. He knew if it hadn’t been for Zordon and Alpha 5 those first few weeks, he wouldn’t have adjusted as well.

Zordon hadn’t treated him like a child, as his teammates had been prone to. The Eltarian Wizard had treated him just as he had the others, as one of his Rangers. It had been by that example that the others had begun to treat him as a contemporary not a child to be protected.

‘He always managed to make each of us feel complete and important’ Justin thought with a wider smile. ‘He’d be proud of us, all of us, for where we’re at in our lives.’

“Justin!” Tommy called, snapping him from his thoughts.

“What?”

“Pay attention, you’re gonna need to know this too,” Adam grinned. Justin just nodded and forced himself to focus on the lesson.

\--

11:00 A.M.  
AG International Dance Academy and Performing Arts School  
Katherine’s Classroom

She couldn’t help but sigh again, correcting the form of a student standing near the bar. She’d been feeling melancholy all day, and still hadn’t figured out why. “Ok class, take a break,” she announced. The girls sighed and then moved toward their bags, chatting softly about this and that.

“Ms. Hillard, are you ok?” one of the older girls softly questioned.

“I’m fine, Kathleen, just a little tired,” Kat told her softly. “Girls, stay in the room, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Turning, Kat fled to her office. She’d gone from feeling tired and queasy to feel like she was having a panic attack. Once the door to her office was closed and locked, the lithe dancer sank to her knees, arms wrapped around her mid section as she rocked back and forth.

‘God, what’s going on?’ she mentally asked herself even as she automatically started a breathing exercise Jason had taught her. She hadn’t felt like this since...since shortly after passing her Turbo powers to Cassie. “Why now?” she gasped out loud.

The sick, queasy and unsure feelings slowly gave way to calm reassurance. It was as if someone had wrapped her in a warm blanket and was holding her close. It didn’t quite feel like when Jason held her, but was similar. ‘The last time I felt like this was right before...’

Kat blinked rapidly and then struggled to her feet. Quickly, she sat down at her desk and grabbed her mini calendar. The date that stared back at her made her eyes water.

Four years. It had been four years exactly since he’d died. Tears sprung to Kat’s eyes as she covered her face with her hands. She sat there, her shoulders shaking and her teeth clenched to keep the sobs in. The loss of him from her life hurt like no other ever had or ever would. Katherine had come to accept that, but it didn’t make the anniversary of his death any easier. She also knew she felt this anniversary more now that she was once again tied to the Morphin Grid, and had the others by her side to share in the grief. The first one had been the hardest, and the last two she’d simply pushed the date out of her mind. She couldn’t ignore this, not now.

After a few minutes, she finally managed to get herself together. Shakily, she held up her left wrist and pushed a button on the silver and orange communicator that adorned it.

“Yes Katherine?”

“Alpha 6 do me a huge favor. Contact each of the others and tell them to meet at the base after work. It’s not an emergency, but it’s important.”

“Kimberly just called. She’s stopping to get candles. So far, I think she’s the only one who realized what today is, other than you.”

Katherine grinned. “Leave it to our Hart. Tell Kim I’ll stop and get dinner.”

“Of course. Alpha 6 out.”

\--

11:15 A.M.  
North Angel Grove  
Café Ole

Trini sat ramrod straight, her eyes on the client she was having lunch with. Her attention, however, was elsewhere. For some odd reason, she felt off, and she couldn’t figure out why. “Ms. Kwan, are you alright?”

Trini blinked and automatically nodded. “I’m...”

“You’re awfully pale. Do I need to call someone for you?” the gentleman asked, concerned.

“No, I’m fine. In fact, I think I’m going to go to the restroom, excuse me for a moment.”

She didn’t even wait for a reply; she just hurried toward the bathrooms. Once inside, Trini stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. She was incredibly pale; the only thing she could compare it to was what she must have looked like the first time she’d faced Goldar on her own.

‘What is wrong with me?’ she thought while she leaned down and splashed cold water over her face. ‘You’d almost think I was pregnant, but it’s impossible since Billy and I haven’t been together, and I haven’t since my last boyfriend three years ago.’

Carefully, Trini lifted her head, her eyes suddenly fixating on her communicator and it finally hit her what day it was. “Oh Zordon!” she whispered, blinking away the tears that were suddenly in her eyes.

\--

11:45 A.M.  
Yellow Paws Animal Clinic  
1210 Fort St.

Aisha was sitting on the floor, feeding a puppy that needed to be bottled fed milk when she suddenly felt dizzy and overly warm. “Aisha, are you alright honey?” one of the nurses asked, crouching down next to the Yellow Ranger.

“Jamie, take care of Rox for me,” Aisha told the nurse, who took the puppy and bottle while Aisha rushed to the bathroom at the back of the room they were in.

Once she was alone, Aisha leaned her back against the wall and slid to the floor, her hands coming up to cover her face. ‘God, why do I feel so sick?’ she silently wondered. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Aisha attempted to try and calm her rolling stomach. ‘Ok, what did I eat that would make me feel like this?’

Breakfast had been a bowl of cereal with Kim, and Rocky had brought takeout from his favorite Chinese place for lunch. She’d only had egg rolls, rice and soup. None of that could really have caused what she was currently feeling, and both she and Kimberly were vigilant about the food in the refrigerator, so the milk was still really good. Other than that, nothing else could have made her sick.

“Aisha, you have a phone call!” Jamie called through the door.

“Be right there!” the Yellow Ranger called back, moving to the sink where she splashed water on her face. Shakily, she made her way back into the other room and then up to the front desk. The phone was on hold for her, so she picked it up, recognizing the voice immediately.

“Aisha?”

“Tanya, what’s up?”

“You feeling okay today?” Tanya asked her voice deadly serious.

“Not really, but then again, I have a feeling you knew the answer to that before you asked. What’s up?”

“The Alphas have summoned us to the base. I guess they’ve talked to everyone, and it seems you aren’t the only one who isn’t feeling great. We need to meet at base after work. Kat’s bringing dinner, but something’s going on. Alpha 6 would only tell me it was a special occasion.”

“Weird,” Aisha muttered. “I’ll be there.” Taking a deep breath, Aisha hung up the phone and felt her body relax, as if a weight had been lifted. She started feeling good enough to head back to the animals she still needed to care for.

\--

11:50 P.M.  
Magic 95.4 Radio Station  
Downtown Angel Grove

Tanya hung up the phone and stared at the instrument board, her eyes welling with tears. Her chest heaved slightly, her breaths shuddering out of her. While she’d been talking to Aisha, it had suddenly hit her what the special occasion was.

Four years. It had been four years since a piece of her had died; a piece of all of them really. After Zordon had left Earth, their bond had seemingly disappeared. And when he’d died, they had all felt alone. She knew this because she’d spoken about it to most of them since the team had regrouped. Sometimes, she still felt alone, and knew that they all did. Even with Adam beside her, she still felt the void left by Zordon’s death.

“Tanya, are you alright?”

“Yeah, let’s get started Rick,” she murmured.

It was a good idea for all of them to be together, on today of all days. Whatever Kimberly and Katherine had planned, it was bound to be an affirmation of the bond and legacy they had shared with the being that had brought them all together.

“Tanya?”

“Let’s rock!” Tanya smiled.

\--

12:30 P.M.  
Red Ninja Martial Arts

Adam flopped down in a chair on the side of the room and raised a towel to his face, using it to wipe the sweat from his skin. He’d been sick all day, and now he knew why. Alpha 5’s communication at lunch had cleared up any confusion on his part. He only wondered now if the others were as sick as he was. Tommy had been fine until lunch, and then the White Ranger had gotten quiet and had withdrawn from him, Justin and Rocky.

“Four years,” Adam muttered to himself.

Had it really been that long since Zordon had crossed over? It didn’t feel like four years, but it had been. So much had changed in that time. He and Tanya were married, not just dancing around each other. All of them had graduated from college. Everyone was back on Earth, and more importantly, back in Angel Grove. They were all Rangers again. Heck, even Tommy and Kim had managed to find one another again. So yes, lots of things had changed, but Adam could only hope Zordon would be proud of each of them for who they had grown into.

“Adam! Come on!” Justin called, gesturing toward the new class of students.

“Coming!” Adam grinned, pushing himself out of his chair and toward where Tommy and Justin stood at the front of the room.

\--

3:00 P.M.  
Little Crane Gymnastics Academy

Tommy sighed, pulling his truck up to the curb outside Kim’s gymnastics academy. He knew everyone had been feeling like crap all day, he could only hope Kim wasn’t in a grouchy mood like the rest of them had been as he’d talked to them. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, and hold her till the hellish day was over with.

“You look like shit,” Kim announced, poking her head through his window.

“Thanks Beautiful.”

“Long day?”

“Between school, teaching, and the significance of today, I’m sick of dealing with people,” Tommy told her seriously, looking broody and irritated.

Kim raised an eyebrow. “If you’re looking to pick a fight, you can just go to the base and I’ll meet you there.”

Tommy gave her a look that spoke volumes more than any word he could say. “No thanks. Can I come in?”

The Pink Ranger grinned. “Yeah. The seven year olds are here. I’m sure all the little girls will love seeing my oh-so handsome boyfriend,” Kim teased.

The White Ranger smiled his first genuine smile of the day for her. “Really?”

Kim laughed. “They giggle easily. Come on.” Tommy climbed out of the truck and took her hand, letting her lead him inside her academy.

Once they were inside, Kim nudged Tommy over to where many of the parents were sitting while she went out onto the floor and gathered her students together. Most were girls, but she had three boys as well, and all of them were looking at her expectantly. Tommy wanted to laugh when the kids started bombarding her with questions.

“Ms. Hart, who’s that?” one of the girls asked, pointing to where Tommy was sitting.

Kimberly grinned. “That’s Tommy.”

“Why is he here?”

The elder gymnast laughed. “He’s here to pick me up for dinner.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” one of the boys asked.

Tommy smiled softly as he watched Kimberly’s eyes sparkle as she pinpointed him with her gaze before he looked back to the kids and nodded. “EWWWW! Boys have cooties!” the girls announced.

“WE DO NOT!” the three boys defended.

The White Ranger chuckled to himself, listening to the kids go back and forth. He couldn’t help but feel his mood lighten at the playful banter between Kim and her students as they moved to stretch out their muscles before they started their exercises. Adam had been right when they had talked earlier – a lot had changed in four years. For him, the most important change in his life was standing in front of a dozen seven year olds demonstrating a hand stand now. He’d never imagined Kimberly being back in his life as anything more than an acquaintance at most. He’d been so mad at her for what had happened in the beginning, but it spoke volumes of how much he’d grown up that despite everything, and with a lot of explanations and faith, he’d allowed her back into his heart.

‘She never left’ he reminded himself. Zordon had told him the same thing after the letter had first arrived. No matter what happened between them, Kimberly would remain in his heart forever – as the first girl he’d ever loved. ‘Now she’s the first woman I’ve ever loved’ Tommy thought, grinning. He and Katherine had still been kids when they’d been together, and she was the last girlfriend he’d had.

“Is he a gymnast?” Tommy heard one of the kids suddenly ask Kimberly when Kim helped them stand up from their handstand.

“Nope. Tommy’s a martial artist. He has a sixth degree black belt in Karate and he’s studying Ninjitsu now,” Kim told them.

“What’s that?”

“It means he’s learning to be a ninja.”

“Like the Ninja Turtles?”

Tommy felt himself crack up at the look that crossed Kim’s face. She was obviously thinking of the old television show from when they’d been little. If any of them qualified these days as a Ninja Turtle, it’d have to be their newly appointed Green Ranger.

“Ummm, sort of.”

‘I hope you’re watching over us and are proud of the people we’ve become’ Tommy thought, his eyes closing as he pictured the first time he’d met Zordon after being released from Rita’s magic. Zordon had always recognized the potential in his Rangers. He could only hope the Eltarian Wizard knew they were still striving for that potential.

\--

The Base  
6:30 P.M.

The Pink and White Rangers were the last to arrive in the Command Chamber following dinner. No one had spoken a word since they’d finished. Instead, they had all made a silent pact that the rest of their evening was to be spent in a comfortable silence.

However, Kimberly broke that silence as she passed out the candles she and Tommy had brought. “I think it’d be better if we go outside for this,” she whispered, watching the others nod in agreement as Jason lit the candles behind her, literally. The Green Ranger was one of the few of them who’d learned he had extra powers he could control thanks to a minor incident with the candles in Katherine’s bedroom a few days before.

Jason’s eyes were glowing green as he passed his fingertips over the wicks of the candles each of them held. The flames on the candles burned green for a moment before dying down to the normal orange glow of fire.

One by one, the Rangers followed Tommy and Kimberly out the main entrance to the base and onto the plateau outside. Both of the Alphas followed, each somber in their own way. Together, the fourteen formed a circle. Jason, Rocky, Adam, and Zack handed their candles off to whoever was standing next to them before they stepped into the inner part of the circle and each held a hand out. One by one, each closed their eyes and summoned their new powers.

Jason glowed green, and was soon lit with green fire. Zack’s body suddenly lit with golden power, and the air around them began to shift and swirl. Adam’s body was encased in black, and rain soon began to whip around the group, but didn’t drench them. And finally Rocky shone red as the Earth below them rumbled.

Finally Katherine stepped into the inner circle, having handed her and Jason’s candles to the Alphas. Quietly, she moved to stand in the mini circle created by the four male Rangers and raised her arms to the heavens; seconds later large bolts of lightning ripped through the air followed by an orange glow of light that surrounded the Orange Ranger.

The five of them had been steadily growing stronger in the use of their new powers, as each held what Alpha 5 had termed as elemental powers. Katherine had explained to them before dinner what she wanted to do, in conjunction with the candles Kimberly wanted to light. The Orange Ranger wanted the five of them to open themselves to the powers they possessed as a tribute to the person they were remembering. The other Rangers kept vigil over the five. It was almost an unconscious nod to how Zordon had often watched over them as they wielded the powers he’d given them.

After a good ten minutes, the five Rangers let their powers disperse back to where they’d called them from, leaving them drained. Each sank to a knee, while the others continued to stand where they were, eyes closed. As one, the Rangers blew out the candles, Billy and Justin leaning over to blow out the candles the Alphas held. Kimberly took the candles back and placed them in the bucket she’d brought out with her. Tommy, Aisha, Tanya, Justin, and Billy moved to help their friends stand, the entire group heading back into the base.

None of them saw the ghostly imagine in the night sky, floating among the sparkling stars. None of them saw the sad yet proud smile of the being that had brought them all together. ‘I am proud of you, all of you. May the power protect you as you enter this new phase of your lives.’


	2. Australia Here We Come

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 3 – Living With The Power  
Chapter 1: Australia Here We Come  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: November 22, 2006

AN: The prophecy/legend in this is of my own creation. Please don’t mess with it without asking me first. Also, you’ll notice in this chapter there is a moment of conflicting views between Tommy and Kim about something I believe was mentioned in Book 1 and or Book 2. Pay special close attention, because there’s more to this chapter than meets the eye.

Dedication: To Shawn, Marcus, Angela and Mili – thanks for the love and support on this one! Thanks to Angela for fine combing this chapter!

“Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.” -- Amelia Burr --  
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff life is made of.” -- Benjamin Franklin --   
“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” -- Dorothy Thompson --

\--

Red Ninja Martial Arts  
Monday September 16, 2002  
5:00 P.M.

“Thank you all for coming,” Rocky announced. Tommy, Jason, and Adam stood to either side of him, along with his assistant instructors. “The reason we’re having this school wide meeting is because after much deliberation, the staff has decided on who will be attending the expo in Australia.”

A soft chorus of murmurs went through the students. It was common knowledge now that six students in the eighteen and under age groups had been chosen to go, but exactly who was still unknown.

“Ms. Hart is going to announce the six after she explains the fundraisers we have coming up,” Rocky started again, effectively quieting the students.

“We only have about one thousand dollars to raise for the trip. The rest of the money we raise will be going toward new uniforms and equipment for all of you.”

“Ms. Hart, how much are we looking to raise?” Mrs. Martin asked from the back corner of the room.

Kim smiled at her. “We have the potential to raise five or six thousand. We’ve set up fundraisers for the entire year. We’ll be doing car washes every weekend until the end of the summer. After that, we’ll have some bake sales, candy sales, and anything else we can come up with.”

“Wow!” Mrs. Martin gasped, impressed that the staff had themselves so together.

Kim nodded and grinned. “We’re going to have fun doing this. After the team returns from Australia, Sensei has a few demonstrations planned for local area schools. We’re hoping to boost enrollment this year. On top of that, the school has been invited to attend several competitions where prize money will be award to the top schools.”

“Ms. Hart, what about our community service projects?” Ally Malone asked from where she stood along the right wall. Rocky had required, upon the students signing up for classes, that they each get involved in the community as a requirement for joining the school, having remembered that his own community service projects had helped round out his education.

“We’ll be doing those as well. Next Saturday, half of you will be fulfilling the first day of your three required while the rest of you work at the fundraiser. We’ll switch off each weekend until all of you have your days finished, alright?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Ok. Now, the staff has chosen the following six to represent Red Ninja Martial Arts in the Sydney Expo – Ally Malone, Steven Times, Chris Parker, Jennifer Ryan, Brianna Martin and Marcus Martin.”

Stepping back, Kim let Rocky take the floor. “Congratulations, all of you. Now, time for class!”

\--

Angel Grove Civic Center Parking Lot  
Saturday, September 28, 2002  
11:00 A.M.

“Rocky! Knock it off!” Katherine demanded, her hands coming up to guard her face. The other Rangers steered clear of the hose-wielding Red Ranger, none of them wanting to get wet.

“Allow me,” Adam grinned, closing his eyes and carefully pointing his hand at Rocky. The others made sure the non Rangers present were preoccupied while Adam used his powers to get Rocky back for Kat.

“AHH!” Rocky yelled when the hose exploded, drenching him with cold water.

The others snickered while Kat stalked over to the sopping wet Red Ranger. “Serves your ass right! And if it wasn’t clear blue skies, I’d be tempted to add a little lightning to that!” she snapped at him.

Rocky’s eyes widened as Kat’s sparked with orange light. “It was just a joke!” Rocky responded.

“Now is not the time for jokes. We’ve got money to raise. Back to work!” The mighty Ape bowed before Katherine’s anger and moved back over to help the kids wash one of the cars.

“You ok?” Tommy asked Kat, trying to hide an amused smile as he handed her a towel to wipe off with.

Katherine glared at him and muttered, “Just peachy,” before she glared at the others who were laughing at the unexpected pun on her Ranger color.

“I hope Jason and the others are having more luck,” Tanya giggled.

Adam, Aisha and Tommy nodded even while Kat turned and continued to glare at Rocky who was shooting her amused grins.

\--

Angel Grove Park

“Ok, our area today is the water’s edge, the bridge, the bathrooms, and back to the pier, ok?” Kim gestured to the landmarks that were on the edge of the park they were to clean up.

“Yes ma’am!” the kids answered, armed with gloves, trash bags, and water bottles.

Trini, Billy, Zack, Jason and Justin were with her to supervise the students’ community service project. The group broke off into their six groups and got started on the clean up.

“So, do you think the carwash has erupted into a water fight yet?” Justin laughed as he called out to Kim.

“I wouldn’t doubt it. With Adam being with them, they’d better watch it. He’s been getting better and better with his aim lately,” Kim grinned, knowing Justin would catch onto what she was talking about.

“My guess is Rocky probably didn’t wait too long before he started in on them,” Jason laughed from the other side of Kim. “He all but alluded to it before they left the dojo this morning.”

The second the words left the Green Ranger’s mouth, the six felt Kat’s anger across their mutual link followed by Adam’s powers. “Rocky’s a dead man if he goes near Kat again,” Justin laughed under his breath so only Kim and Jason could hear him.

“He’s lucky she’s over her fear of water or I’d have to kick his ass,” Kim murmured. Justin nodded, remembering the story he’d heard from Kat about how she’d gotten Kim to get over her fear of the balance beam.

The six Rangers quieted when the kids came close to them. “Everything ok?” Kim asked.

“Ms. Hart, there’s these funny looking guys in silver suits over there!” Brianna told her, pointing back to where she and her group had just come from.

Kim’s head snapped to where the thirteen year old was pointing. The Pink Ranger cursed under her breath at the sight of the Cogs headed for them. Automatically, Kim sent a silent signal to her teammates. Quickly, the six Rangers grouped around the kids, even as the Cogs circled them.

“All of you stay in the circle, and don’t fight unless you have to!” Jason ordered the kids. Between the six Rangers, there were twelve students they now had to worry about on top of defeating the evil minions.

The Cogs got closer and closer, making the Rangers tense. Running through all of their minds was the thought that they had to protect the kids at all costs; they didn’t need a repeat of what had happened to Kim’s father happening to the kids.

The first Cog swung at Justin, who connected with a swift kick to its chest, which sent it tumbling backwards. “Stay together!” Kim ordered, spinning around to kick the two Cogs coming at her. Billy, Trini and Jason were together, a group of kids between them while Justin and Zack fought in tandem, deflecting the Cogs’ attempts to get at the kids. Several of the older students were with Kim, and completely disobeying her and Jason’s orders. Kim couldn’t fight the grin that crept onto her face – Rocky’s students were risking bodily harm to help defend their younger teammates.

“Kim! WATCH OUT!”

Trini’s warning came a second too late, as a Cog fired a blast at her, launching her several feet into the air.

\--

Angel Grove Civic Center Parking Lot  
12:00 P.M.

Rocky was cringing as Aisha blasted him again about getting them wet when Katherine had already yelled at him for it. Tommy and Adam were rolling their eyes and helping some of the kids wash the top of a really big truck while Kat and Tanya dried a couple of cars when they all felt Trini’s panic over their link.

“We’ve got to go help!” Adam hissed to Tommy even as Tanya and Kat approached them.

“But we can’t leave the kids!” Tanya responded.

“Guys, we’ve got problems of our own!” Kat called, gesturing to the Piranhatrons who were running at them.

“Damn!” Tommy growled, silently calling Aisha and Rocky to him. Turning, he saw the pair was already engaged in combat with some Cogs and Piranhatrons. “Spread out and watch out for the kids!” Tommy commanded, causing the four to spin out and scatter.

Tanya and Adam paired off and Tommy found himself back to back with Kat. The White Ranger couldn’t help but laugh when Aisha used the hose to blast the Cogs, making them smoke.

Tanya, on Aisha’s example, dumped a bucket of soapy water over a Cog’s head before she round house kicked it away from her. Adam, much like he had against Ivan’s forces the first time, was playing Kick The Can, only this time he was using two plastic buckets. The Piranhatrons looked mightily confused by his tactics.

Ducking before extending his arm to clothes-line a Cog, Tommy spun just in time to see Katherine and three of Rocky’s older students knock two Piranhatrons onto the cement.

“Tommy! WATCH OUT!” Kat called just in time for Tommy to turn and find himself being sent flying back into a car.

\--

Angel Grove Park

Jason grimaced when Kim hit the ground and lay, unmoving. “Trini! Check on Kim!” he ordered, watching the Turquoise Ranger nod before dashing toward their fallen Pink teammate. “Can you three handle the goons?” Jason asked Billy, Zack and Justin, who nodded. Taking a deep breath, the Green Ranger managed to pull off several Tornado kicks, knocking the Cogs to the ground. Once the path was clear, Jason charged over to help the kids, who were guarding Trini and the unconscious Kim.

“She’s unconscious!” Trini informed him, though they were both aware of it. A second later, both of them shot glances at Zack when the wind began picking up speed and targeting the Cogs. Both of them were surprised when Justin slowly started speeding past the Cogs, who couldn’t keep up with him.

“Super speed?” Jason asked.

“Looks like.”

“What the heck?” one of the kids called. Jason and Trini both looked startled when they saw the pink glowing figure of the Pink Ninja fighting the Cogs. Looking down, they gasped, seeing that Kim was still on the ground.

“What the hell...?” Jason muttered.

“It’s a ghost! Those freaky robots are falling through it every time they try to hit it!” Marcus Martin grinned.

Kim’s power? Trini asked Jason silently.

That would be my guess. Come on, we’ve got to get busy; the others are in trouble too.

As one, the students and Rangers managed to group the remaining Cogs together and defeat them. “Nice job group,” Zack laughed.

“Who knew cleaning up the park could be so fun?” one of the younger boys quipped. The adults and Justin looked at him like he was crazy while the other students laughed.

“What about Ms. Hart?” Brianna asked.

“We’re going to take her to the hospital. Here comes your parents now,” Trini sighed in relief.

With the kids and their parents gone, the team had Kim teleported to the base and then they went to help their teammates.

\--

Angel Grove Civic Center Parking Lot  
12:15 P.M.

“We’re getting creamed!” Rocky gasped. The six of them had been pushed together, and found themselves back to back.

“Tommy, are you alright?” Kat panted in between quick breaths.

“I’m hurting, but I’ll manage. I don’t think it’s all me for some reason,” he said, his voice tight with pain.

“You’re probably feeling Kim too!” Jason called. The six looked startled when their five teammates rushed onto the scene in a burst of energy.

Aisha looked upset and demanded, “What happened? Is she ok?”

Trini shook her head. Zack, Jason, Billy and Justin had started engaging the Cogs and Piranhatrons, so the Turquoise Ranger took it upon herself to fill the others in. “She’s at the base. She was unconscious last we saw her,” she told them, her voice low so the students wouldn’t hear.

The two shared a look before Aisha pushed herself to her feet and began attacking the minions. The others were shocked to see the sudden raw strength behind each of the Yellow Ranger’s attacks.

“Damn! Look at her go!” Zack gasped. Aisha plowed through their enemies, giving the guys a few seconds to catch their breaths.

“She’s pissed,” Tanya announced even though they could all feel and see Aisha’s mood for themselves.

“Tommy!” Kat cried out when the White Ranger collapsed to his knees, Rocky and Trini catching him under the arms before he could hurt himself.

Rocky swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between his leader and the woman he loved. Trini brought her hand up, laying it flat against Tommy’s chest. Calm down, she spoke, her mind connecting with his.

Kim?

She’s with the Alphas. Are you alright?

My back is killing me, Tri.

Ok. Soon as we can, we’ll get you back to base. Just hang on.

While Trini and Tommy had their silent conversation, the others defeated the goons. “Is it just me, or was that a really random attack?” Rocky posed, pulling Aisha into his arms, hugging her tightly to calm them both down.

“We need to get Tommy to Alpha,” Trini uttered quietly so the students wouldn’t hear. “And yes, the attacks were random.”

“We’ll stay here,” Adam murmured. “Billy, Aisha, and you should take him back.”

Trini nodded, knowing Adam, Tanya and Jason had come to that decision together just from the looks they were giving each other. Carefully, Billy moved to Trini’s aid, the Blue and Turquoise Rangers supporting the weakened White Ranger. Aisha left Rocky’s embrace and made her way to his Durango, where she grabbed her purse, before bounding back over to the slow moving trio. “Let’s take Tommy’s truck back to the house, then we’ll go to the base,” Billy told the two female Rangers in as low a voice as he could manage. Careful not to jar Tommy in any way, the trio got him loaded into his Navigator. Billy got behind the wheel while Trini and Aisha climbed into the backseat to keep and eye on him.

“Do you think he and Kim will be alright?” Katherine heard Tanya ask when the white truck left the parking lot and the pair moved closer to the guys.

“Tommy and Kim have been through worse, they’ll be fine,” Kat grinned, though deep inside she worried for them. “Let’s go calm the kids down.”

\--

The Base  
Level 2 – Conference Room  
6:45 P.M.

“She’s unresponsive to everything we’ve tried,” Alpha 5 spoke, informing the team of Kim’s condition.

“Any idea how to get her to wake up?” Adam posed the question to the other members of the team.

“We’ve extinguished all of our ideas at this point,” Billy pointed out.

Justin sighed in frustration. “We’re screwed if we can’t wake her up,” he mumbled, only to be smacked in the back of the head by Tanya, who sat next to him, glaring at him.

“What do you mean, Justin?” Aisha wanted to know.

The Beige Ranger took a moment to gather his thoughts and think of a way to explain the situation to his teammates without going over most of their heads. He sighed, irritated, that sometimes he was too smart for his own good. “The way the Zords are set up now, Kim’s morpher has to be activated to call the Crane Zord. Billy, Trini and I will have to reprogram it in case we need the Ninja Mega Falcon Zord before she wakes up.”

That tiny tidbit of information heaped more worry on their already weary shoulders. Billy took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, knowing he and his fellow tech experts were about to put in some seriously long hours to reconfigure the zords. “Let’s get started on that now,” he told Justin, who nodded. “Alpha 6 meet us at the tram in thirty minutes,” Billy spoke to the for once quiet android, who nodded.

“Jason?” Tanya asked, looking to the Green Ranger for guidance.

“Your call,” Jason told her, watching her face. This would be yet another test for the new second in command.

Tanya sighed, not feeling ready to take control again, but knowing it needed to be done. “With Tommy out of commission as well, we need to be on full alert.”

Those gathered nodded in agreement before Zack interrupted their thoughts. “Someone want to explain what the hell happened to Kimberly out there today?” he grumbled finally, his irritation and fear getting the better of him.

Jason and Trini shared looks while the others looked confused. “What are you talking about Zack? What happened that you guys didn’t tell us?”

“There was an apparition of Kim in her Ninja suit that saved our asses from the Cogs,” Jason finally spoke up.

Rocky, Katherine, Tanya, Adam and Aisha turned surprised glances to Jason and Trini. “We think it must have been Kim’s powers. She’s one of the few of us who hasn’t displayed her powers yet,” Trini commented, finding the table before her suddenly interesting.

“Trini?”

“Zack’s powers are Air, Rocky’s are Earth, Kat possesses control over energy, Jason’s are fire, and Adam’s are water. Aisha evidentially has super strength and Justin super speed, if what we saw today was correct. And I have mind control powers,” she said, uncomfortable by the attention. “Tommy, Tanya, Billy and Kim were the only ones left. Jason and I have reason to believe Kim’s may be astral projection, after today’s incident.”

“That’s not going to help her all that much, especially if she’s got to be unconscious to use them,” Rocky commented sarcastically.

Trini shook her head at him. “Once her powers wake up, she should be able to use them whenever she wants, I think, with enough practice.”

“What about the rest of us?”

“I don’t know. My guess is that soon, they’ll make themselves known to you.”

\--

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

“What was that?” Ivan growled, spinning around to pin his underlings with a glare.

“Master, it looks like the Rangers have civilian powers, but we’re not completely sure,” Rygog announced.

“Or it was an emotional fluke. For your sake, that’s all it had better have been.”

“Master, our plan is ready,” Scorpina told him.

“And?” Ivan bellowed, his gaze narrowing in on Scorpina. The half insect, half woman held her ground even as he glared.

She cleared her throat. “Divide and conquer. Once they’re in Australia, we’ll lure them away from each other and destroy them, one by one.”

Ivan grinned maniacally, obviously liking the idea. “An admirable plan, Scorpina,” Mondo laughed. “But how do you plan to accomplish that?”

Scorpina shot the royal robot a nasty look. “They’ll go to the desert, the one the Earthlings call the Outback. We’ll strike there.”

“See that you do, or don’t come back,” Ivan issued his warning.

“Yes Master.”

“And you two?” Ivan pointedly asked Rita and Divatox, who tried not to cower before him.

“We’ve got back up plans,” Divatox grinned at him.

“YOU SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER!” Ivan roared, sending the two running to hide behind Zedd and Maligore.

\--

Infirmary  
Private Room  
Monday, September 30, 2002  
4:55 p.m.

Tommy sat on the side of her bed. Alpha 6 and Trini had settled her into one of the private rooms in the infirmary, so he was able to be with her in some privacy. She still looked pale, but it was even worse now that the dark bruises had emerged from her battle with Mondo’s Cogs.

“Come on, Beautiful, wake up,” he urged her, his fingers stroking over the top of the hand he held.

“Any change?”

Tommy turned to look over his shoulder and saw Jason standing in the doorway, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. “No. She still hasn’t even moved, let alone woken up.”

Jason sighed, knowing even without their mutual link what Tommy was feeling sitting there watching Kimberly. “She will when she’s ready. You know our Kim, she doesn’t do anything until she’s ready.”

The White Ranger nodded and grinned. The two guys turned to look at Kim and gasped. With wide eyes, the pair watched Kim float toward the ceiling.

“Holy shit!” Jason barked.

“Go get Billy!” Tommy ordered. His voice sent Jason running from the room. Tommy’s eyes widened as Kimberly’s body stopped less than a foot from the ceiling. ‘Dammit! How am I supposed to get her down?’ he asked himself.

Just as Jason, Aisha, and Billy rushed in, Alpha 5 a few seconds behind, Tommy felt himself lift off from the ground toward Kimberly. “Tommy!” Aisha cried out in surprise.

“I’m flying!” he laughed, realizing it was his own powers kicking in that had lifted him from the ground.

“Whoa!” Jason grinned. “What about Kim? Are you doing that?”

Clumsily, Tommy made his way to Kim’s flat body, which was still hovering over her bed. “No, it’s not me!” Tommy shot back after he tried to will Kim down and felt himself drop a little.

“No, it’s my own doing!” Kim’s scared voice announced, shaking Tommy with the fear he heard in it.

“Beautiful,” Tommy calmly spoke.

“I heard you and Jason,” Kim explained. “All I wanted was to rise through the pitch blackness around me. Next thing I know, I’m staring at the ceiling right in front of me.”

Tommy slid his arms under her shoulders and knees. “I’ve got you, Beautiful. Just let go.”

Taking a deep breath, Kimberly cleared her mind, like she did when competing on an apparatus during gymnastics. Before either she or Tommy realized it, she was in his arms. Tommy grinned at her, flexing his new powers to take them back down to the bed.

Once Kim was settled, Alpha and Billy came forward. Billy had one of the portable medical scanners in his hand. Quickly, he pulled up Tommy’s file, did a scan, and then pulled up Kim’s, and did a scan.

“Do you remember the park?” Aisha gently asked Kim, who yawned.

“Sorta. The last thing I really remember was getting kicked by a Cog. Other than that, I vaguely remember a fight.”

Billy cleared his throat, causing all of them to shift their attention to him. “It appears that your powers are emerging. Aisha and Justin’s have both appeared, and now so has Tommy’s,” Billy told Kim, smiling.

“And the verdict is?”

“We can’t be a hundred percent sure, but astral projection according to Trini, and possibly flying for both you and Tommy. I want to do some more tests with you, but that can wait. Get some rest for now,” Billy told her, his voice brooking any argument about to ensue. Aisha squeezed her hand, and Jason kissed her forehead before the pair followed Billy and Alpha from the room.

Kim closed her eyes and snuggled close to Tommy, who had his arms wrapped around her. “How long have I been out?”

“About two days. Aisha’s been covering for you at work, and Alpha and Billy used your voice recording to call the gym and have Holly carry on with the kids’ training.”

Kimberly sighed. “Did I lose the Van Mauer Account?”

“No. Aisha told them you had come down with food poisoning and Mrs. Van Mauer understood. She rescheduled for next week,” Tommy reassured her.

“Thank God,” Kim yawned. “That’s a hundred thousand dollar account.”

“How’d you score that?” Tommy asked, startled that he hadn’t heard about it before. Of course, he mused, they’d barely seen each other in the last week due to hectic work schedules.

“Would you believe because I stood up to her and refused to let her intimidate me?”

Tommy chuckled. “Sounds like you.” Noticing that Kim was asleep, the White Ranger settled down and went to sleep himself.

\--

Red Ninja Martial Arts  
Friday, October 4, 2002  
4:45 P.M.

“What the hell is going on?” Rocky asked when Kim stepped onto the mats in his dojo with two dangerous looking steel weapons.

“Kim’s managed to modify her Tessens so that she can practice with them,” Trini smirked.

“I thought she could only use those morphed or in Ninja form?” Rocky whispered. They still had to be mindful of his students, but Rocky was curious.

“She’s in Ninja form, we wanted to see if she could get the suit off and still stay powered up,” Billy commented. “Our experiment was a success.”

“Sweet.”

“Kim’s just practicing this way until the Tessens she ordered from a place in Houston arrive,” Trini told them.

Justin chuckled and then nudged Rocky while they watched Kim pull of some impressive flips and twists with her fans. “Kim’s gonna oust you in the weapons tournament.”

Rocky looked doubtful. “Like hell. And if she does, she has to get past Trini, Jason, Adam and Tommy.”

Those present laughed. “We’ll see,” Trini shot back. “She’s pretty damn good with those.”

The group watched as Kimberly moved gracefully, her hands maneuvering the steel fans around her in a dance that was at times daring and erotic and other times gave off a feeling that it was right that she should be performing.

“I freely want to admit something – if I wasn’t in love with Aisha, and I hadn’t come to think of Kim like a sister, I’d have tried to get a piece of that!” Rocky muttered, causing Justin to look startled while Billy and Trini laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Tommy called out, approaching the group.

“Not to mention fear of Tommy rearranging your face?” Trini teased Rocky, who had gone still and silent at Tommy’s arrival.

“Yeah, that too,” Rocky mumbled, bowing his head to hide the blush he knew was on his face.

The White Ranger looked confused, but shook it off. “As soon as Kim’s done, Alpha has requested our presence at the base.”

The four Rangers nodded. “Is it serious?” Justin queried.

“Not that I know of,” Tommy responded, his eyes on Kimberly. She looked even more beautiful than normal. She was sweaty, wearing a skin tight pink leotard, and she was completely focused on the task at hand. It was nice to be able to watch her, Tommy thought, without her knowing he was there.

Three minutes later found Kimberly posed in her ending stance, those gathered clapping for her performance. “Ok guys and girls, that’s enough for today. We’ll open tomorrow around two thirty,” Rocky announced to the students. Those left in the building waved or called out goodbyes before scrambling out the doors. Once the students were gone, and Rocky had locked up the school, the six headed for the base.

\--

The Base  
Level 2 – The Conference Room  
6:30 P.M.

“Well?” Aisha asked the Alphas when the six arrived and sat down at the conference table.

“We received a transmission from Inquiris this morning,” Alpha 5 explained while Alpha 6 got the holo-computer that was built into the table working.

The Rangers watched in awe as a beautiful woman in flowing white robes appeared. “This is a live feed. Dimitria wanted to speak with you.”

“Greetings Rangers.”

“Dimitria, is something wrong?” Tommy asked, clearly worried.

The woman in question smiled beneath her veil at the White Ranger. He and Kimberly sat next to one another, holding each other’s hands tightly. Zordon’s wish had come true. “What does your heart tell you, Tommy?”

Kim narrowed her look to focus solely on Dimitria. “What does that mean?”

“Do you not know why I needed to speak with you, Pink Crane?” The Pink Ranger just glared.

“Dimitria, what is it?” Tanya finally asked, worried that an argument was about to start.

“Did Prince Trey not visit you recently?” Twelve heads nodded. “I too, was informed of the situation.” The Rangers shook their heads, silently acknowledging what they themselves had learned recently. “What would you say if I told you I’d recently learned of a prophecy pertaining to your current status?”

The twelve looked surprised and worried. “A copy has been transmitted to you. I ask only that you study it, and try to solve it. For now, I must go. And Pink Crane, do be careful.”

Kimberly suddenly snapped her head up to look into Dimitria’s face. The others looked more worried, but Dimitria only nodded once to the Pink Ranger before the transmission ended. “Wonderful,” Kim muttered.

“Billy, I’ve left the file on the mainframe so you can access it from your room and the library,” Alpha 5 told the Blue Ranger, who nodded.

“Alpha 6, did you finish inputting Zordon’s books and scrolls into the digital library?” Trini asked, turning to the unusually quiet robot.

“No worries, Trini! I finished yesterday. I just haven’t had a chance to translate any of the text yet.”

Justin laughed and patted Alpha 6 on the back. “It’s alright, Alpha 6. We’ll translate as we go.”

“Trini, Justin, meet me in the library. I’ve got to run and grab a few things from my room,” Billy told them after getting a nod from Tommy. The three quickly scrambled from the room, leaving the others in silence.

“And the rest of us?” Katherine asked from her spot next to Jason, who was twining their fingers together.

Tommy, Jason, Tanya and Adam all looked at each other, silently discussing their plan. When it was final, the four grinned. “Whose turn is it to make dinner?” Jason asked.

Adam, Tanya, Kat and Zack raised their hands. “Then the four of you get started on that,” Tommy grinned. “The rest of us are heading to the Zord bay to make sure everything’s tuned and ready.”

Nodding, the remaining nine headed out to perform their specific duties.

\--

The Zord Bay  
7:00 P.M.

Kim sighed in frustration as she tried to pop the control panel off the dashboard of her zord. She’d been running the routine maintenance check when it had started smoking. “You okay up there?” Aisha called from the bay floor through the open cockpit.

“I’m fine!” Kim called back, sticking her head out of the cockpit for a minute. “The control panel started smoking.”

“Find the problem?”

“Not yet!” Kim raised her voice even as she stuck her head back into her zord. In further frustration, she kicked the bottom of the panel and smiled when it finally popped open. Grabbing the flashlight Alpha 6 had given her, she stuck her head into the console. Pushing wires aside, Kim searched for the problem. Moments later, she was clucking her tongue when she found the loose wire that had melted the plastic covering of another near it. The wire had come from the activation box, which recognized automatic commands from the morphing grid or the Command Chamber computers. ‘Must have been left from when Billy, Trini and Justin modified it when I was sick’ she thought, reaching for the utility box she’d set next to her. Just as she’d been taught, Kim carefully clipped the wire and capped it off so that it couldn’t cause any other wires to burn.

“Problems?”

Kim jerked back at the sound of Tommy’s voice. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tommy’s head poking in through the open hatch of her cockpit. “Jesus! Tommy! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Kim hissed at her boyfriend.

Tommy looked sheepish as he blushed. “No. I’m sorry.”

The Pink Ranger rolled her eyes at him. “Do you need something?”

“I’ve got a problem with the Falcon Zord’s booster ignition and the control switch. I can’t reach the wires that need to be fixed.”

Kim nodded. The wires he was talking about were ones only she and Aisha could reach in the past as they were set so far back in the control panel. “Give me a few minutes to get this panel back on and I’ll be right over.”

“Thank you Beautiful,” Tommy grinned.

“Welcome Handsome.”

\--

Tommy couldn’t help but enjoy the view. Kim was bent over on her hands and knees, her head stuck in the bottom portion of his instrument panel. “Tommy, quit staring at my ass!” Kim grumbled, her voice slightly muffled because of where her head was.

“I can’t help it, Beautiful. You ass looks so cute in those little pink shorts of yours.”

Kimberly quickly backed out of the panel and turned to glare at him. “Tommy Oliver!”

“What?” he asked slightly confused.

Kim smirked at him. “Might want to reign in your desire, Handsome, or you’re going to embarrass yourself,” she giggled, wiping her hands on a rag.

Confused still, Tommy looked down and realized exactly how noticeable his desire was. “Oops.”

The Pink Ranger laughed so hard she fell back on her butt. “Oh Tommy!”

Grumbling under his breath, Tommy moved into his cockpit and sat in the pilot’s chair, which had been pushed all the way back to give Kim some space. Sighing, he debated how long it would take for him to calm down or whether to brave the embarrassment and head to his room. He was so lost in his thoughts he never noticed Kimberly climbing onto his lap until she sat her weight on him. Tommy groaned and slid his hands up her thighs to her waist. Kim laid her head on his shoulder, cuddling close to him. “No fair,” Tommy whined in her ear.

“Why?”

“You’re making it worse,” he told her.

Kim just smiled. “You’ve got two options you haven’t thought about,” she giggled softly, nuzzling his neck.

“What’s that?”

“Teleport or fly back,” she told him.

“Ninja streak wouldn’t work, would it?”

“Considering that takes a lot more concentration than flying, no.” There was no walkway back to the base; he’d have to go along the tram track to get back if he tried to ninja streak.

Tommy grinned for a full two seconds before his hips involuntarily snapped upward and his hands held Kim in place, allowing him to grind against her. The Pink Ranger moaned and closed her eyes, her own hips moving to create friction as she rubbed against Tommy’s erection. “Shit!” Tommy hissed.

Kim didn’t speak; she just continued to snuggle close to him, letting her body speak for itself. For the first time in a long time, the Pink Ranger discovered the fear that clutched her heart and the pit of her stomach when she started getting aroused didn’t come. It was definitely a welcome absence.

“Tommy?”

The White Ranger groaned, not wanting to stop but knowing he should so he didn’t scare her. “Yes Beautiful?”

“Can we go to your room and continue this?” she whispered in his ear.

Her words and the tone she said them in surprised him. Since they’d gotten back together, and since they’d learned what had really gone on in her time away from Angel Grove, Tommy had been reluctant to push his luck with her in this area. “Are you sure?” he asked, wanting nothing more than to beg her to let him touch her.

“Very,” she purred in his ear. He twitched beneath her, making her giggle.

“Hang on,” he whispered, and then hit the teleport button on his communicator. They disappeared in a crackle of pink and white light, with only Kimberly’s laughter left to echo through the bay.

\--

Ivan’s ship  
Same Time

“My Lord, you summoned us?” Scorpina asked when the group walked onto the bridge.

“Take a patrol of each of the Putties, Tengas, Cogs, and Piranhatrons with you.”

“Sir?” Scorpina questioned, hoping he’d clarify why he’d given her that order.

“I’ve got a yearning to test the Rangers,” Ivan grinned. His new device had allowed him to see into the Rangers’ base, so he knew Tommy and Kimberly were in the process of getting ready to have sex. ‘I want her for my own, White Ranger. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let you touch her!’

“Sir?”

“I’ve had Zedd and Mondo send down two of their creatures to distract the Rangers. I want to see how they do against a new tactic.”

Scorpina’s eyebrows rose at his comment but she said nothing. He had a gleam in his eyes and a tone to his voice that she knew Zedd had possessed once, especially when a certain Pink Ranger was concerned.

“When shall I implement your plan?”

“NOW!” Ivan roared. ‘She may be an irritant little bitch, but I will bend her to my will. She will make an excellent queen.’

\--

Level 6  
Tommy’s Room  
7:30 P.M.

Her arms were wrapped around his torso, her hips cradling his. Her mouth was open, making little gasping noises and letting out moans as Tommy’s mouth attacked the sensitive skin of her neck and collar bone. Both of them were shirtless, but Kim was still wearing her bra and they were both still wearing their shorts. “Mmm...Tommy...” Kim whispered, arching against him. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t worried about him seeing the scars from her attack.

Tommy smiled against her wonderfully tanned, smooth, unmarred skin. He hadn’t heard or seen her aroused in what felt like forever. Leaning down, he carefully nipped at her through the lacy white bra she wore. Slowly, Tommy maneuvered his hands under her, his intent to get her bra off. The second his fingers grazed the catch, a loud, familiar, and irritating six toned beeping scared them.

“Damn!” Tommy hissed, letting his forehead rest against her shoulder.

“Duty calls,” Kim sighed in disappointment. The look on Tommy’s face when he pulled back spoke volumes to her. “Tommy.”

“Can I just strangle Alpha?”

Kim smiled at him. “This is not either of their faults.”

“I know,” Tommy grumbled, leaning down to kiss her before he moved off his bed and helped her up. Quickly, the pair donned their shirts and shoes and then raced to the lift to head to the Command Chamber.

\--

Level 1  
The Command Chamber  
7:35 P.M.

“Someone had better be dead or dying!” Tommy bellowed when he stalked into the Command Chamber, Kimberly trying to keep up with his long strides.

Every one of the other Rangers froze when they saw the look on his face. “Scorpina and a small army are attacking the day campers at Angel Grove Lake,” Jason filled him in. The Green Ranger could see as much as sense why Tommy was angry. Both the Pink and White Rangers looked a little disheveled, among other things.

“Wow, I haven’t ever seen Tommy this pissed before,” Justin whispered.

Rocky leaned over and muttered, “You’ve never seen Tommy interrupted when he’s trying to have sex with Kim before, that’s why.”

Justin made an ‘oh’ movement with his mouth only to stare in shock as Tommy pinned him and Rocky with a glare. “Shush, both of you,” Aisha hissed.

“We’re wasting time!” Tanya growled. “Angela and K.J. are both down there!”

“It’s Morphin’ Time!” Tommy commanded.

\--

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

“They’ve taken the bait!” Ivan cackled. Mondo, Zedd, Divatox, Rita and Maligore merely stared at him.

“He’s lost it,” Rita mumbled to her husband.

“No? Really? You think?” Zedd responded, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Shut up! Both of you!”

Most of the gathered group looked insulted but didn’t say anything. Each of them was planning schemes in their own right, knowing that this time Ivan would fail.

\--

Angel Grove Lake  
7:40 P.M.

When they arrived on the scene, the Rangers saw a lot of the campers huddled on the dock. “Adam!” Tommy commanded, gesturing for what he wanted Adam to do.

The Black Ranger nodded. “Let’s see how well these powers work in uniform,” Adam grinned. “Zack, a little help?”

The Gold Ranger nodded and together they managed to knock all the goons off the dock while Rocky and Billy ran over to help the kids. The others took on the goons who were coming at them. The Tengas, in particular, singled out Kimberly.

“Kim!”

Tommy and Jason were back to back, fighting in perfect sync. Trini and Aisha, and Kat, Tanya and Justin were in groups, taking out goons that kept attacking them as well. When the other four rejoined the fight, the team regrouped. Kim was still by herself, so they broke off into smaller teams to try and get to her.

Rocky, Adam and Aisha fought together, their moves and team fluidity as tight as it was when they were in high school. Jason, Zack and Trini moved as one, taking out a group of Putties in the blink of an eye. Katherine, Tanya and Justin appeared a little shaky fighting together but quickly balanced themselves. This left Billy and Tommy to get to Kimberly.

“Billy? A Plan?” Tommy asked even as he took out a Piranhatrons with a swift leg sweep.

“Up and over!” Billy called. Tommy quickly surveyed the situation. Nodding, the pair took off running and completed a full twisted jump up and over the line of warriors keeping them from Kim. “Go! I can handle these guys!” Billy told Tommy.

The White Ranger nodded, having learned to trust Billy’s judgment a long time ago. Tommy ran full speed at the group surrounding his girlfriend, which now included Scorpina. Grinning, the Ranger leader jumped up and used his powers to come down next to Kim. “Need a hand?”

“Always!” Kim quipped.

“May I have this dance?” Tommy asked, holding his hand out to her in a familiar fashion.

The Pink Ranger tilted her head at him and nodded. Tommy gripped her hand, tugged her toward him and then spun her out, the two of them kicking out and connecting with the Tengas.

From his place not far away, a figure shrouded in black grinned as the Pink and White Rangers moved in unison. “Not long now, beautiful Kimberly, not long now.” With a snap of his fingers, the figure disappeared.

\--

Level 3  
Infirmary  
8:30 P.M.

“I’m so sore!” Katherine hissed while Jason massaged her left calf muscle. She’d taken a hit to her leg which had cramped immediately after, leaving her vulnerable for a good portion of the fight and some time afterward.

Rocky, Adam and Justin were hopping off exam tables, having had Aisha and Tanya finish some minor stitches to wounds they’d sustained. Billy and Trini were taking a look at Zack, who had a possible concussion and Tommy and Kim were in Kim’s quarters, already sleeping. The pair hadn’t suffered any injuries, but because of Kim’s previous injuries, Alpha 5 didn’t want to take any chances with her.

“Why in the hell do they keep targeting Kim?” Justin asked, angry. “Do they stupidly think she’ll break?”

Rocky and Adam put their hands on his shoulders, hoping to calm him down. “No, Justin. They go after Kim because it’s the quickest way to get to Tommy. If Tommy’s distracted, it leaves the rest of us picking up the slack,” Tanya told him seriously.

“And today, Tanya, you did so admirably,” Billy told her, smiling widely. “Your field command is improving greatly.”

“Thank you, Billy,” Tanya grinned. “I had good teachers.”

“Rangers, we’d like you to stay overnight to monitor your injuries,” Alpha 5 announced, interrupting any and all conversations going on.

“What about those of us who aren’t hurt?” Trini inquired.

“You’re free to go home. The rest of you, please, stay here.”

The team nodded in agreement. “Yo! We can teleport you home before work! No prob!” Alpha 6 exclaimed.

\--

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

“Well?”

“They suspect nothing beyond what we’ve allowed them to suspect,” the figure in black told the snake-like creature.

“Very well done. They won’t figure out the truth until you’ve made the Pink Ranger your slave.”

“The little slut will pay for breaking the spell I put on her,” the figure in black hissed.

“Just make sure you make her suffer by destroying the White Ranger.”

“Yes Father.”

\--

Cranston Scott Oliver Residence  
11:15 P.M.

Billy stared at the file from Dimitria for what seemed like the hundredth time. It read almost like a poem, but the Blue Ranger knew it was much more. ‘I hate riddles sometimes’ Billy thought. ‘Especially ones that make no sense!’

“Billy?”

At the sound of the sleep filled voice, Billy turned toward his bed. Trini was on her stomach, her face turned toward where he sat at his desk. “I’m right here,” he called softly.

“Leave it be, you’re going to hurt your eyes if you keep staring at the screen.”

“I can’t help it,” he yawned. He quickly shut his laptop and moved over to the bed. “I’ve got this sense of urgency that I can’t quite shake.”

Trini smiled sleepily. “Sweetie, get some sleep. It’ll come to you after you’ve rested.”

Billy nodded, shut off the light and curled his body around Trini’s. As he slept, the Blue Ranger dreamed, the prophecy echoing in his mind.

The master wizard’s chosen warriors will reclaim the duty they were once entrusted with.  
Their sacrifice – their heart - will save the universe.  
This shall come to pass, only when body, mind and heart work as one.

These warriors will be represented by the animals of light –   
the protective Dragon, the mystical Tiger,  
the courageous Frog, the stunning Panther,  
the elusive Puma, the loyal Eagle,  
the serene Gazelle, the cunning Wolf,  
the mighty Ape, the fierce Bear,  
and the noble Falcon

In their moment of greatest sorrow, the warriors will learn, the true essence of power, justice, and love.  
Shall each moment foretold, come to pass, then they shall remain,  
Intact and whole.

\--

Angel Grove International Airport  
Friday  
November 1, 2002  
4:15 A.M.

“Wow!” the kids exclaimed when they entered the airport.

“Stay together, guys!” Tanya told them. The six students nodded and stuck close to their chaperones. Each of the students had been assigned two of the Rangers as their chaperone for the duration of their week long trip.

“I can’t believe our parents actually let us miss a week of school!” Marcus laughed.

“Just remember though, you guys have to sit down for a couple hours each day with Billy to do your homework,” Aisha hated to remind them, remembering how it was when she used to get homework on vacation.

“We know!” the group of six chorused, smiling at the Yellow Ranger.

Tommy cleared his throat and gained their attention. “Here we are,” he announced when they arrived at the customs line.

“How come we have to go through here?” Chris asked.

“Because any time you leave the US for a foreign country, you have to go through customs to make sure you’re not smuggling anything out,” Jason told him.

“Will we have to go through coming back?” Chris asked.

“Yep.”

“How are we supposed to get all our gear through?” Brianna asked.

“We filled out special papers so we could take it with us,” Katherine assured her. Ever since September 11th the previous year, flights to and from the United States had been incredibly strict on what could and couldn’t be taken on a plane. It also helped that Jason had been able to pull some strings with security; his job with Interpol had provided them with papers that would help smooth the way if they got into trouble.

One by one, the Rangers helped the kids through customs and then made it through themselves. After getting through the check point, they regrouped and headed to the gate.

“Australia here we come!” Justin laughed as they walked down the concourse.

\--

Ivan’s Ship  
Time Unknown

“I still don’t understand this obsession he has with the do-gooder Pink Ranger!” Scorpina hissed, throwing something across the room.

“It has to do with the prophecy,” Divatox announced, polishing her nails on her outfit.

“What prophecy?” Mondo asked.

The once feared Space Pirate rolled her eyes. “It’s an ancient Ninjetti prophecy. The current Rangers share the same animal spirits as the Ninjetti Council of Elders, the same ones who charged Dulcea and Ninjor with carrying on their culture. The Crane was the ruler of the Ninjetti, their Princess. She died without an heir and before she could be crowned queen. However, her powers were strong, and just before she died, she foretold a prophecy for the future.”

“Oh?”

One chosen, to save them all.  
A heart destined, to make the choice  
An innocent, with the strength of a dinosaur,  
The compassion of a Phoenix, and the cunning of a Ninjetti,  
The center of a team;  
Who will bring balance to the battle between good and evil

Guarding the chosen one are the ancient warriors  
Of the order of light and hope.  
Four Bodies, four Minds, three Hearts, focused on the chosen.  
Only when they loose their true heart,  
Will the warriors know understanding.

In the battle to end all battles,  
The true heart must sacrifice everything,  
Even love,  
To awaken the ultimate power.

The master wizard’s chosen warriors will reclaim  
The duty they were once entrusted with.  
Their sacrifice – their heart - will save the universe.  
This shall come to pass, only when body, mind and heart work as one.

These warriors will be represented by the animals of light –   
The protective Dragon, the mystical Tiger,  
The courageous Frog, the stunning Panther,  
The elusive Puma, the loyal Eagle,  
The serene Gazelle, the cunning Wolf,  
The mighty Ape, the fierce Bear,  
And the noble Falcon

In their moment of greatest sorrow, the warriors will learn,   
The true essence of power, justice, and love.  
Shall each moment foretold, come to pass,  
Then they shall remain intact and whole.

“I don’t understand! ZEDDIE!” Rita screeched.

“It means that their source of power wasn’t Tommy,” Zedd muttered at his wife.

“It’s Kimberly,” Mondo responded.

“That’s why Rito and Goldar were able to destroy the Power Coins so easily the first time; you corrupted their power source by taking Kimberly’s coin,” Scorpina uttered in disbelief.

It was amazing to Scorpina how one small girl had possessed so much power, and even more amazing that that girl was now a pitiful excuse for a woman who did not know what she had in the palm of her hands.

“If he gets a hold of her, he’ll be unstoppable,” Divatox told them.

Zedd growled. “Then we have to get her first.”


	3. Family Ties

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 3 – Living With The Power  
Chapter 2: Family Ties  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: December 25, 2012

AN: I thank you all who’ve emailed and reviewed this story and showed me such enthusiasm about me continuing this story. In all honesty, I’ve had this chapter partially done since November 2006, but other projects have gotten in the way, inspiration came and went, and real life decided it was going to intrude. Again, I do appreciate all the support. However, I need to ask all of you that if you email or review me, please remember I’m an adult with a full time job. I ask that after I’ve replied to your emails or reviews, please, please, don’t push me for updates. All pushing is going to do is upset me, piss me off, and make me not even want to work on the story anymore. 

I understand that it’s been forever since I updated this story but the constant pushing for an update not only annoys and aggravates me, but it makes trying to work on the story even harder, because I feel like I’m being hounded for updates. I have other projects going on, and I understand that this one has been on going for almost eight years now, but I can only work on stories as I have inspiration and a desire to do so. I’m not about to put out pieces of work that I don’t think are very good, or are a good enough representation of my work. I refuse to be one of those authors that updates to please people and presents spotty work, at best, each update. Again, thank you for the support; you will never know how much the positive comments and feedback mean.

AN 2: There was originally supposed to be a lot more to this chapter than where I ended it. I’ve decided to put that in the next chapter. Because it’s been so very long, the rest of my story ideas are going to be re-vamped to hopefully make this a better story for all of you. I’ve grown the last few years, and I think my writing has too. I don’t want to abandon the original premise of the storyline, but I plan to make it better.

Disclaimer: The Power of Three triangle idea came from Weesta's story "Crossing Paths" and I asked for permission to use it a long, LONG, time ago when that story was being written. Credit for it goes to Weesta.

"Though miles may lie between us, we're never far apart, for friendship doesn't count the miles, it's measured by the heart." – Unknown –

"Friends are like stars, you can't always see them but you know that they're there." – Unknown –

\--

On The Plane  
Sunday  
7:30 P.M (Sydney Time)

“How much longer?” Marcus asked from where he perched on the arm of Tommy’s seat.

“About three hours, Kiddo,” Tommy told him, his face showing his understanding. The trip from Angel Grove to Australia was turning out to be longer than expected. Their layover in Hawaii had extended the trip by almost four hours. The kids, Justin included, were getting tired and cranky, as were some of the adults.

“This sucks, Tommy,” the young boy grumbled. “At least you’re enjoying the trip.” Marcus pointed to the person in the seat next to Tommy.

Tommy turned his head to see what his young charge was looking at and found Kim was sound asleep on his shoulder. “That depends - I could watch her sleep at home.” Marcus let out a laugh. “I’ll let you in on a little secret – Kim drools in her sleep.”

“TOMMY! I DO NOT!” Kim protested, making their audience of one laugh even more. “Sweetie, are you alright?” she asked the young boy.

“I’m sick of sitting, Ms. Hart.”

Kim gave him a sympathetic look. “Tell ya what, why don’t we walk around and stretch our legs. And you, little man, can call me Kim.”

The Pink Ranger climbed over Tommy and into the aisle. Taking her charge’s hand, she led him to the front of the plane.

\--

Monday  
11:30 PM (Sydney Time)  
Sydney Airport

“Thank God!” Aisha gasped when the plane landed at Sydney Airport.

“No kidding,” Rocky grumbled as the group of eighteen made their way off the plane and into the terminal. Everyone stopped just past the gate, stretched, adjust bags and took a minute to catch their bearings.

“What now?” Ally asked, looking to Jason, Rocky and Tommy.

Jason just grinned and helped Kat with her backpack. “Well, we need to go down to the baggage claim and get our bags and the gear.”

“My Grandda Aidan said he’d be waiting to pick us up outside,” Katherine told them, smiling. She’d called her Grandfather from Hawaii to let him know about their layover and delay. She hadn’t been back in Australia, let alone seen her family, since her cousin CeCe had graduated from College, and that had been two years before.

“Wow Jase, going to get to meet Kat’s family,” Rocky teased. “Serious stuff there, dude!”

The Green Ranger pinned his Red teammate with a look that could have melted steel. “Not all of us had the luxury of growing up knowing our significant other’s family.”

“Break it up, both of you,” Tanya told them in a no-nonsense tone.

“Yes Ma’am!” they grinned at her, causing her to roll her eyes.

Nearly a half hour later the group found themselves outside in the darkness, staring at the two stretch limousines that Kat’s grandfather was standing in front of. “Grandda!” Kat laughed, dropping her bags and rushing head long into his arms for a hug.

“Kitty!” the old man laughed. He was tall like Kat but he was almost as filled out as Jason. He looked a little intimidating to the group.

“Wow!” Trini quipped. “How old is Kat’s grandpa? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s about early sixties.”

“I’m almost seventy-six, Ms. Kwan.” Trini had the grace to blush but laughed when Kat’s grandpa hugged her. “Welcome to Australia, kids. I’ll bet you’re all hungry and tired. Let’s get you loaded up and get you to the hotel.”

Quickly, they loaded bags and gear into the trunks and climbed into the two sleek black cars before heading north from the airport.

\--

“Wow! Look! It’s the Opera House!” Ally called out as they passed over one of the large bridges. Kat’s grandfather had decided a limo ride through the city before heading to the hotel wouldn’t hurt, so they were downtown Sydney, enjoying the City Center and its sights, which were all lit up thanks to the late hour.

“It’s a beautiful city,” Tanya grinned. She’d accompanied Kat two years before to Cece’s graduation and the pair had explored the city for nearly a week.

“Let’s just hope that we don’t have any close calls like last time,” Adam murmured. Rocky, Aisha, Kat, and Jason all shot him looks while Tanya took his hand. Those who hadn’t been present were well informed of the last group trip to Australia that had resulted in Rita and Zedd getting married.

“Bite your tongue, Frog Boy,” Aisha growled, her voice low and almost deadly. Both Rocky and Jason touched Aisha’s arms, telling her in silent fashion to calm down.

“I want a nap,” Jennifer yawned, stretching carefully before curling into a ball again next to Chris.

“And food,” Rocky grumbled. The kids started laughing, knowing their sensei was often a bottomless pit when it came to food.

“I wonder what the others are talking about?” Kat wondered out loud, her head resting comfortably on Jason’s shoulder.

“Who knows,” Rocky laughed. “With their luck, Trini’s giving them a history lesson!”

“ROCKY!”

\--

The other limo was pretty silent. All three of the kids – Steven, Marcus and Brianna – plus Zack, Kim and Trini were all sound asleep. Tommy and Billy were cradling their girlfriends while Justin enjoyed the sights from the window.

“Awesome! We are going sight-seeing, right?” the Beige Ranger asked as he turned his gaze to his older teammates.

Tommy and Billy shared grins. “Justin, I highly doubt Kat will let our trip pass without taking us sight-seeing, especially with her knowledge that you and the other kids have never been here before,” Billy assured him.

Justin’s face split into an ear to ear grin. “I’m hungry and I think I need a nap,” Tommy yawned while Justin and Billy nodded.

“We all are, and we are all in need of extra sleep.”

“How much longer?” Justin asked as the limos headed north, out of Sydney toward the Hillards’ resort.

“Probably another half hour or so,” Tommy told him. “The resort is near the coast.” Yawning again, the White Ranger rested his head against his girlfriend’s and drifted off for a nap.

\--

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

“They’ve arrived in that wretched orange kitty’s homeland,” Scorpina reported.

“Good. Give them a day to adjust and then attack!” Ivan ordered, his eyes glowing purple.

“Yes Sir!”

\--

Monday  
2:00 AM

Tommy could help the smile that drifted onto his face. Once he and Kim had settled into their room, he’d gone to take a shower. Now he was done and coming out of the bathroom he discovered Kim sleeping. Shaking his head, Tommy tossed his dirty clothes down at the end of the bed they were sharing and crawled under the covers.

Kim immediately snuggled into his arms. Her head found its way onto his shoulder, an arm snaked around his waist, and one leg wrapped around one of his. Tommy just chuckled and tightened his arm around her. “I love you Beautiful,” he sleepily yawned into her hair, before dropping off into the land of dreams.

\--

Aisha laughed when Rocky flopped down on their bed. He’d been making sure the kids were settled while she unpacked their clothes and checked their gear. “I’m exhausted,” he mumbled.

Proof of how tired he was came when Aisha leaned over him, unsnapped his jeans and began tugging them off. He offered no smart ass comments nor did he try to tease her.

“Boy, you really must be tired. Usually when I try undressing you, I get teased.”

“I’m too pooped to do much of anything,” he half grinned at her. Working together, they rid him of his shirt before Aisha pushed him flat on his back again, straddling his hips as she did.

“Is there anything I can do?” she softly asked, leaning forward to peck kisses to his now bared chest.

Rocky just groaned in response. “If you keep doing that, we’re going to have a problem.” A low, husky laugh escaped Aisha’s lips even as she continued to torment him. “Sha, I’m serious,” he growled out, even as his hips thrust up against hers.

Aisha moaned and shifted against him, seeking the friction. Rocky understood her actions, his hands sliding up her bare thighs. A gasp came when Rocky’s hands worked their way under her panties and cupped her ass, fingers flexing against the softness.

“Rocky!” she whimpered, shifting against him again, frustration evident. They hadn’t taken their relationship into the realm of the physical for fear of destroying what they had. While neither were virgins, they both silently acknowledged that they’d never wanted anyone they way they wanted each other.

“Sha, stop a minute,” Rocky groaned.

“Why?”

“Number one, I don’t have protection,” he sighed. “Number two, I hate to say this, but we need to talk about this before we just blindly do it.”

Surprise more than disappointment coursed through her. Rocky was known for his carefree attitude and joking around, to see him so serious when he was so utterly aroused she could see the need for pleasure clouded in his eyes, scared and excited her all at once. “God, I hate it when you’re right,” she grumbled, lying down on his chest, hoping to calm them both.

“It’s a good thing I’m not right all the time then, huh? I don’t think I’d like you hating me all the time.”

“Hmm,” Aisha managed, her body relaxing as sleep started to take over. Sighing, Rocky rolled her off gently to her side of the bed. Once he was free, Rocky shut off the bedside lamp and came back to curl up with Aisha.

“I love you, Aisha.”

\--

Billy swallowed nervously when he came out of the bathroom and was greeted by the sight of Trini bent over, rummaging through her suitcase. Not only did the thong she was wearing show off her firm, perfectly rounded behind, but he also caught glimpses of her breasts as she moved. Closing his eyes, the Blue Ranger tried to calm his hormones and failed. Even though he wasn’t an inexperienced virgin, there was something about seeing Trini like he was that made him more nervous than he’d been his first time.

“Enjoying the view?” Trini’s amused voice asked. Billy flinched when he realized that Trini had gotten her sweats on and was facing him, hands on her hips, her breasts barely covered by the spaghetti strap tank top she wore.

“Trini, my apologies; I did not mean to stare.”

The Turquoise Ranger laughed. He looked so flustered and cute. She approached him, reaching out to take his hand as she did. “Billy, relax. You do realize, eventually, you’re going to have to get used to me being undressed.”

The Blue Ranger swallowed, not sure what to make of Trini’s statement, or rather the boldness she displayed in uttering the words. “Why’s that?”

A low, sexy laugh escaped as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Because I plan on making love to you, once we’re a little more settled in this relationship.”

Hazel blue eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. “You promise?”

“Most definitely.”

\--

Adam lay on his side, one arm tucked under his head while the other was wrapped around Tanya’s waist. He couldn’t help the smile that drifted onto his face as he soaked in the moment of simplicity. ‘This is why I get up every morning, why I fight a battle I’d once given up’ he thought, bringing his hand up to cradle her cheek as she slept on.

It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate his wife – he knew he told her all the time how he loved her and was thankful for her in his life. His biggest thing was he never took the time to just stop and enjoy the moment. Hectic jobs and busy lives left little time for much else.

“Adam,” Tanya’s sleepy voice sounded.

“Hmm?”

“Go to sleep, you’re staring,” she told him, her lips curving into a sleep smile.

“Sorry,” he sheepishly replied.

“Adam?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you, so much,” she whispered, snuggling close to him.

The Black Ranger just smiled back. “I love you too.”

\--

Jason flopped down on the bed next to Kat, panting and sweaty. “Holy cow,” he gasped.

“I’ll second that,” Katherine breathed out, her voice catching on the last word. “Someone had some serious frustration to work out.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so, but I just proved myself wrong,” Jason grinned. “Are you okay?”

Katherine smiled lazily before rolling toward him, her breasts brushing his chest. They’d taken a quick shower together which had only intensified their need for each other after such a long trip where they’d had to pretty much behave themselves.

A bout of hot, sweaty, intense sex had followed, culminating in their mutual release. Now they were content just to cuddle with one another. “Jason.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest.

“I take it that means you’re fine?”

“Better than fine, I’m wonderful.”

The Green Ranger yawned and held her tighter. “Let’s sleep.”

Kat nodded. “I’ll second that.”

\--

Justin was sprawled on his bed, comic books spread around him. The Beige Ranger looked deep in thought, but looks were often deceiving. He missed home. They’d barely been gone two days and he already was homesick for his family, for the familiar surroundings of Angel Grove, but most of all, he missed Katie Jane.

“I miss home too,” Zack told him, coming from the bathroom where he’d been taking a shower.

Justin looked up, a frown on his face. “I miss K.J. I know I shouldn’t, but I do.”

The Gold Ranger rolled his eyes at his young friend. “Justin, you like her more than just as friends, right?”

“I think so.”

“Then it’s normal that you miss her. I miss Angela. It also doesn’t help that the others are all paired with each other and we’re not.”

The younger Ranger nodded. “Nice to know I’m not crazy. I guess I feel kind of weird. I mean, she knows a secret very few do, or ever have.”

Zack grinned. “Its nice to have understanding where before we had so much secrecy and no one understood the fatigue, the tension, or the worry and stress.”

Justin nodded. “You’re right. So, are you ready for the tournament?”

“I wish. I’m doing the Team Ninja Competition with Jason and Trini, the Free Style, Kickboxing, and the Karate competitions.”

“Kat, Tanya and I are teaming up for the Ninja Competition. I’m going to do the Kickboxing and Karate too.”

Zack laughed. Kimberly had a spreadsheet of who all was doing what, so he knew in the morning they’d get an idea of what was what. “This is going to be an interesting vacation.”

Justin chuckled. “Yeah, it is.”

\--

Monday  
9:15 AM

The next morning proved to be an interesting experience. Tanya and Zack had wake up duty for the kids while the others took advantage of the health club. The guys chose to lift weights while the girls took an aerobics class and a swim in the Olympic sized pool outside.

Once the kids were awake, Tanya took them out to the pool and let them splash around while she sat and talked with the other girls. The group of female Rangers hadn’t been laughing and talking more than ten minutes when a group of guys started irritating them.

“Check out the hottie in the black and purple,” one of the guys told his friends. “With a body like that, I’d bet she’d wring a guy dry in bed.”

Tanya looked appalled. Very deliberately, she lifted her left hand and brushed her hair out of her face, making sure the sun caught her wedding and engagement rings.

“Man, she’s married. You’d never score with her anyway; she’s wearing a one piece. Now that gorgeous Asian in the turquoise and blue tank and shorts, I’ll bet she’s tight enough to make a man scream.”

Trini’s eyebrows shot up when the other guys groaned in agreement. “How about the leggy blonde in the white, orange and green bikini? Couldn’t you imagine those long, toned legs wrapped around you?”

It was Kat’s turn to be angry, though the girls did notice the blush that had spread across her pale skin. “Are you blind? Look at the hot girl in the red and yellow bikini. She looks like she’d pack a punch in bed.”

Aisha just rolled her eyes and leaned back against the lounge she was sitting on. “He couldn’t handle me,” she grinned, causing the others to laugh.

“Rocky can barely handle you,” Trini teased. “None of them could handle us; our own guys have trouble keeping up with us.”

Kat laughed, Tanya shook her head and Aisha applauded. Kim remained silent behind her sunglasses. “Well, they’d better watch their mouths, because here come the guys.” Four heads turned to stare at the seven males that had just entered the pool area and were currently looking for them.

“I’m telling you, the chick in the pink bikini with white flowers is my type! I can just imagine those gorgeous strands of hair spread out on my pillow and those tan legs wrapped around my waist!” The five guys in the pool groaned at the mental image.

“Watch and learn,” Kim grinned, standing from her lounge. She moved toward the pool, approaching the huddle of guys at the edge. Quietly, she crouched down and grinned. “Gentlemen, as lovely as my friends and I are in our swimwear, and as flattering as the attention is, knock it off, suck your drool back into your mouths, and quit being a nuisance.” With that, Kim abruptly turned and strode toward the group of seven guys who were such an important part of her life.

“Smooth,” Tommy grinned at her, leaning down to kiss her upturned lips. His hands slid to her hips, his fingers tightening on the thin straps of her bikini bottoms.

Kim smiled a lazy smile at him and let out a throaty laugh. “I’m surprised you let me handle that on my own.”

Tommy rolled his eyes and took her hand when the eight of them walked over to where the other girls were sitting. “You looked like you had it all handled. Besides, wasn’t it you who told me ‘I can handle myself’?”

Kim rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the way so she could plop down onto her lounge chair again. “And what are your plans for the day?” Kim asked the guys.

“Well, the opening ceremonies for the tournament are at five and the dinner starts at seven,” Billy ticked off the night’s events. “Until then, I don’t think any of us have anything planned.”

“I have an idea, but I doubt the kids will go for it,” Trini suggested.

By that time, the six kids were standing with the adults and Justin. “What’s your idea, Trini?” Steven asked, curious.

“Well, how about you guys swim until ten-thirty and then go inside and eat lunch and do homework until noon. Then maybe we can go through our routines, tweak them if need be, and scout out rooms and times?”

The six looked at each other and nodded. “Do we have a schedule for our events?” Chris finally asked.

“We do,” Aisha grinned. “Kat, Tanya, Justin and I aren’t participating in as many events, so you’ll be with one of us during the first day.”

“Cool. You know what, it’s almost ten now,” Ally spoke up. “Maybe we should head in, shower, and get started.”

The other five seemed reluctant to go inside but agreed none the less. “Where should we meet you, Billy,” Jennifer asked.

Billy smiled. “Meet me by the elevators in thirty minutes,” he told them as they checked their watches and then gathered their stuff before trooping inside.

“Need some help, Billy?” Tanya asked.

“I’ll have Justin with me; I think we’ll be okay.” Together, the Blue and Beige Rangers excused themselves, Billy leaning down to kiss Trini before heading in after the kids.

“What about the rest of us?” Jason asked, unsure what they were going to do.

“Let’s head in,” Kim responded. “We still need to check gear one final time and what not.”

The remaining ten nodded and then headed in themselves.

\--

12:15 P.M.

At precisely twelve-fifteen, the team met in the ballroom. Several other teams were already there, practicing and having team meetings. The group from Angel Grove was surprised at the nasty glares they received from not only the students but some the coaches as well.

“Rocky, why are they looking at us like that?” Marcus asked, looking up at his sensei.

“Probably because of me,” Kat murmured, squeezing Jason’s hand when he laced their fingers together. “My uncle hasn’t kept it a secret that I’m coming from the States to compete.”

“Not to mention your college graduation picture and several dance recital pictures and one of you in the cast from Swan Lake are hanging in the lobby,” Rocky commented.

“Gee, I didn’t know Ballerinas could perform Martial Arts,” a twenty-something young man with an obvious European accent sneered when the group found room to spread out.

“I didn’t know they’d started letting jack asses into the country,” a new voice shot back. The team turned and found themselves face to face with a woman nearly identical to Kat; the only differences were the auburn brown hair and piercing green eyes.

“Cece!” Kat let out, rushing forward to hug the new arrival.

Cece smiled. “Kitty,” she happily replied. “Sorry I wasn’t at the airport with Grandda to meet you.” Turning, Cece stared at the rude young man. “You should be ashamed of yourself. This tournament is supposed to be about sportsmanship and teamwork. You certainly aren’t showing the kids a good example. Why don’t you find your team and leave these kids be?”

The young man walked off, muttering under his breath. “It’s a good thing you showed up, Ce, I’d hate to have to rearrange his face,” Tanya laughed.

Cece let out a stream of laughter. “I know. Now then, why don’t you introduce me to everyone Kitty?”

Kat and Tanya laughed. “This is Adam, Tanya’s husband,” Kat started, pointing to the young man in a black and white bandana, white tank top and black pants.

Cece reached out and shook his head. “It’s nice to put a face with a name.”

“Likewise,” Adam grinned.

“This is Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan,” Kat pointed to the pair, who were both stepping forward to shake Cece’s hand. Billy wore a blue tank top and white pants while Trini wore a turquoise bandana, white tank top and a pair of black trousers.

“Standing next to them are Zack Taylor.” The young man in all black with a gold bandana grinned and shook her hand. “Justin Stewart.” The younger boy in beige pants and white tank top shook her hand. “And the kids from Rocky’s school; Ally, Steven, Chris, Jennifer, Brianna and Marcus.” As one, the six students bowed respectably to her.

“My, my, such well mannered students,” Cece winked at them.

Kat laughed and then continued. “This is Aisha Campbell, and Rocky DeSantos.” Cece turned to stare at the red and yellow clad couple.

Aisha and Cece shared a quick handshake and a grin. “Thank you for agreeing to compete, Sensei,” Cece told Rocky, performing a formal bow for him.

“We’re happy to. You’ve got an eclectic mix of competitors,” Rocky told her.

“Thank you. My father tried to make the field diverse.”

“And last but not least, this is Kimberly Hart, Tommy Oliver, and Jason Scott,” Kat introduced the last three as the unit they presented.

“Well, well, the infamous Kim, Tommy and Jason,” Cece grinned. Kimberly offered her hand, but Cece pulled the pink and black leotard clad gymnast into a hug. “Thank you,” Cece whispered into her ear.

Kim pulled back, confused. “For what?”

“You have no idea how much your relationship with her helped her get past her fears.”

The Pink Ranger blinked in surprise before turning to Kat, who wouldn’t meet her gaze. “The feelings are mutual.” Kim waited until Kat looked at her, silent communication between them as they thought of Kat’s diving and Kim’s gymnastics.

Cece nodded and then moved to hug Tommy. “You, I’ve heard all about. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” Cece studied the red, green white and black clad man carefully.

Tommy blushed and hugged her back. “Same here.”

Last, it was Jason’s turn. Cece’s eyes widened, taking in the green tank top and black pant wearing man. ‘Oh baby!’ she thought, grinning. “My, my, Kitty, you sure know how to pick men.”

“CECE!” Kat screeched, reaching out to smack her cousin’s arm even as Jason and Cece hugged.

“I’m only stating the truth, no need to flip out,” Cece grinned. “Now, my father will be coming down to join you in a bit. I’ve got to get back to work.”

“G’day Cece!” Kat called to her cousin, who was bouncing off out of the ballroom.

“Alright gang, let’s warm up!” Rocky ordered as the group dropped into their warm-ups.

\--

4:30 P.M.

“Wow!” the kids gasped when they reentered the ballroom a few hours later and found bleachers set up on three of the walls while the other had a stage set up in front of it that extended a fair ways into the center of the room. There was a results table, a check in table and a judges table, each in front of the bleachers facing the stage.

“How many teams are participating in the competition Sensei?” Brianna asked when the group was shown to a section blocked off and set aside for them.

“Honestly Bri, I don’t know,” Rocky told her, taking a seat next to Aisha on a bench.

“Guys, best behavior, quiet down, they’re getting ready to start,” Tanya told them.

All the teams quieted when a tall gentleman with blonde hair and deep green eyes walked up to the front of the stage, a microphone in hand. “I’m Barry Hillard, owner and CEO of Hillard Hotels, and I’d like to welcome you to the North Sydney Hillard Hotel. This is the first time we’ve done an event like this, so please bear with us. Now, just so you know, the first through third in each event will receive a trophy to take home. All others will receive a certificate and ribbon for participation. Your staff representative also has t-shirts and gift baskets for your team. And now, it’s my great pleasure that I open this week long competition!”

All the competitors and teams applauded as Mr. Hillard left the stage. While the other teams dispersed, Kat’s uncle signaled for them to stay put. He made his way over to them, grinning.

“G’day,” he greeted, hugging Kat. “Kitty, you look wonderful.”

“Thank you, Uncle Barry. Allow me to introduce everyone – Rocky, Aisha, Adam, Tanya, Justin, Zack, Brianna, Marcus, Jennifer, Chris, Steven, Ally, Trini, Billy, Kim, Tommy and Jason.”

“Sorry I wasn’t at the airport to meet you, we had some last minute problems here. Did you all sleep well?”

“Yes sir,” Rocky grinned. “The resort is beautiful.”

“Good. Thank you. I do hope you’ll be able to make it to my father’s in a few days.”

“Uncle Barry, we’re staying on a few days after the tournament to visit Nan and Grandda,” Kat informed him.

Barry smiled. “That’s why Ma’s in such an uproar. You all will enjoy your visit to my parents’ place, it’s wonderful.” The team laughed and nodded. “Don’t forget the dinner starts in twenty minutes. I’ll see you then, and probably tomorrow.”

“Goodbye Mr. Hillard!”

\--

8:30 P.M.

“You okay?” Tanya asked Kim after dinner. While Rocky, Jason and Justin were going over last minute practice with the kids, the others were tweaking their own routines.

“I’ve got an uneasy feeling,” Kim told her as the pair prepared to spar. Other than Trini, Tanya seemed to be the only one who could remotely keep up with Kimberly’s routine enough to challenge the Pink Ranger. Kat didn’t have enough Martial Arts training and most of Aisha’s moves were too alike Kim’s in the sense that they were evenly matched.

“Uneasy about what?” Tanya asked.

“That’s just it, I’m not sure,” Kim told her. “Something’s not right.”

Just as Kim said that both women shivered. “Kim, look over near the door. There’s a guy standing there staring at us.”

Casually, Kim rotated around as if she were stretching and nearly had a heart attack in the process. Turning around, she couldn’t hold the panic off her face nor could she stop it from alerting any of the others over their mutual link. “Kim?” Tanya calmly murmured.

“Mike,” Kim whispered, ashamed that he could get to her like this just by showing up.

“Kimmie, is that you?” he drawled, stopping next to Kim and Tanya.

“What are you doing here?” Kim tried to growl, but it came out in a whisper. The panic rising in her almost choked her until she felt the soothing presence of Trini, the protectiveness of Jason and Tommy’s love seep into her. And then she felt the team ring around her, both literally and figuratively.

“I’m here to compete,” he told her, smiling. They stuck together to the bitter end, he noted with satisfaction. Not much longer now, and Master Vile’s plan for them would be complete and the Pink Crane would be his.

“Compete?” Justin snickered, sizing the man up. While the younger male was not scared of Mike, he knew to be cautious; Mike had been under Master Vile’s control once, there was no telling what he could or would do.

“Yes. I train at an academy in New York. We were invited to compete.”

Kim let out a shaky breath when Tommy took her hand.

Handsome, as much fun as it would be to drop him out of your Falcon Zord, it wouldn’t be appropriate to Zordon’s memory or our legacy as Rangers.

Tommy squeezed her hand again. “I look forward to competing against some of you. Maybe you and I could meet up for lunch, Kimmie?”

“I’m sorry Mike, the kids need my undivided attention.”

Rocky and Jason shook off Kat and Aisha’s hands and moved to stand between Kim and Mike. “We’re not in the US, you have no authority here,” Mike hissed at them.

“I work for Interpol, I have authority most anywhere,” Jason told him. “Don’t make a nuisance of yourself. I’d hate to see your team disqualified for harassment of other teams.”

Mike stepped close to Jason and hissed. “Watch yourself, Green Dragon. You can be eliminated easily and the little Crane can disappear.”

Stepping back, Mike smiled with satisfaction when Jason’s eyes glowed green before he turned and walked away.

“Jason?” Trini asked.

The Green Ranger turned his brown eyes on Kim. “He knows about our extracurricular activities.”

Shock spread through the group. The kids instinctively moved closer to their chaperones, not sure what was happening. “Then we need to be careful,” Tommy uttered.

\--

Tuesday  
9:00 AM

The next morning saw everyone down in the ballroom and conference rooms at nine. Breakfast had been in the restaurant an hour and a half before. Now, the teams were getting any last minute schedule changes and signing in for their first events.

“What’s the verdict?” Tanya asked. Jason and Tommy didn’t look happy, and their displeasure was spreading over the team’s link.

“Kim, Billy and I are facing Mike and two others from the New York team in the Team Ninja Competition,” Tommy told her. Tanya paled.

“Then I say let Kim kick his ass,” Trini commented. “If she’s going to get over what happened, she’s got to face this head on.”

“Trini’s right,” Zack commented. “Knowing Kim as well as we all do that’s the only way she’ll be free of it, and of him.”

All eyes turned to where Kim stood with Justin, Kat, Aisha and the kids. “I’ll be the one to tell her,” Tommy spoke, and then turned toward his girlfriend.

The group of Rangers held their breath as Tommy pulled Kimberly aside. Aisha and Kat moved over to the others, confused looks on their faces until Jason silently told them what Tommy was telling Kim. Each of them felt their hearts break a little more when they saw Kim bury her face in Tommy’s chest.

\--

11:15 A.M.  
Round 1 – Team Ninja Competition

Kim trembled as she, Billy and Tommy stretched near the ring for the Team Ninja Competition. Her boyfriend’s anger was rolling off him in tangible waves while Billy’s nerves were almost drowning her own out. She watched Jason pacing, with Trini and Zack trying to calm him. The trio had finished their fight an hour ago, barely scrapping by a victory. Taking a deep breath, the Pink Ranger tried to steady herself. Closing her eyes, she let herself push everything around her out of her mind. She could sense Adam and Kat heading toward Tommy, while Justin and Rocky crouched down with Billy. Kat, Tanya and Justin had lost their match, and were eliminated, while Rocky, Adam and Aisha had dominated their match. Kim couldn’t help but smile when she thought about that – those three were known for being successful at team competitions. When Aisha and Tanya crouched down with her, she jumped in surprise.

“Nervous?” Tanya asked, reaching out to run a soothing hand down Kim’s arm.

“Yes, but not for the reason’s you’d expect,” the Pink Ranger hastily explained.

“He’s not stupid enough to go against Tommy, and he could care less about facing Billy; it’s you he wants.”

When Kim opened her eyes, she noticed Tanya was glaring at Aisha, who was staring at Kimberly’s face. “I know that, Sha.”

“Be smart,” the Yellow Ninja warned.

The careful, serious brown eyes of the Pink Ranger turned to stare into the intense gaze of one of her best friends. “I’ve faced my demons, Aisha. I’m where I always wanted to be. He can’t break my wings a second time, not if I won’t let him. What he put me through, both real and imaginary, I won’t let him do it again.”

Aisha said nothing, just nodding, while Tanya reached out to hug Kim. “We love you,” Tanya murmured. “Remember that.”

“I will.”

“Red Ninja Martial Arts, you’re up,” one of the organizers spoke to the group, who slowly came together. Kat’s cousin Cece sat with the kids in the stands, all of whom looked tense and nervous.

“This is it,” Justin whispered, reaching out to take Kim’s hand and give it a squeeze.

“Good luck,” Trini bid the three who were soon standing facing one another. In a display only ever seen by each other, the trio fisted their hands over their hearts, shot them into the circle they formed, and then bent their arms upward at the elbow. No one but the Rangers noticed the pink, blue or white sparks of energy that accompanied their actions.

The three Ninjas soon moved out of the circle of their friends and climbed into the ring, bowing to their opponents. Mike stayed in the ring while Kim and Billy had to both talk Tommy into stepping out. “Why?” he demanded, his face blatantly sharing his anger.

“Because he’s expecting you or Billy to fight him, not me,” Kim explained. “If anybody deserves to kick his ass, it’s me.” Her voice was firm, strong, and killing any argument Tommy could think of.

The White Ranger begrudgingly nodded and slipped between the ropes with Billy. “You’re going to face me, Pink Crane?” Mike leered at her. “I’m surprised.” Kim’s face betrayed nothing. She blocked his punches and kicks with scary accuracy before she pulled off a maneuver that had him flying into the ropes, impressed that she was using her Ranger moves in civilian form. “Now, now, Kimmie, what would old Z say if he knew you were using your Ranger moves?”

“First of all, he’d wish you to hell. Second, he’s not here, so we’ll never know. Third, I learned these moves after my days in spandex.” That said, Kim spun around, faking a side kick while ducking down to leg sweep him. She smiled in satisfaction as his body thumped down onto the mat and he let out a groan.

“Point for Red.”

Tommy and Billy shared a surprised but excited look. “I didn’t know she had that in her,” Tommy murmured in wonder, his eyes following Kim’s every move.

Billy just grinned. Kim always had been the one to spring surprises on people. “Kimberly is full of avenues we’d never known before. Looks like I’m up.” The Blue Ranger grinned, jumping into the ring as Kim came out to rest.

“Nice move.”

Kim laughed and bumped her fist against Tommy’s. “Thanks. I don’t think he was expecting me to fight back that much.”

“Apparently not,” Tommy responded, grinning like a mad man.

Swallowing hard, Kim reached over and laid her hand on Tommy’s arm. “I know you wanted a piece of him. Thank you for letting me fight my own battle.”

The White Ranger nodded. “I didn’t want to, but I know you had to. And I’m proud of you.”

“Your turn,” Kim replied as Billy came out and Tommy went in.

On the edge of the ring, Trini and Zack did everything they could to occupy Jason’s attention. The Green Ranger was ready to pulverize Mike, despite the fact that the first round had gone to Kim. “She doesn’t need your feelings on top of her own, and Tommy’s,” Trini scolded her childhood friend.

Jason glared at her. “He hurt her, Trini. Am I supposed to sit back and just forget that happened?”

“Don’t think I don’t remember that, but Jason, she’s got to grow up sometime. You can’t protect her forever.”

The Green Ranger’s feelings of inadequacy and fear for his little sister found their way across his and Trini’s mutual link. “Trini…”

“I know,” she reassured him.

“Go Kim!” Justin called as the Pink Ranger slipped back into the ring against Mike.

“You’re going down, little girl,” Mike laughed, swinging out at her, only to have her block it. “I’ll make you beg, on hands and knees, for me to spare you, for me to take you.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “Wrong time and place,” she taunted back. “And besides that, I could have you crawling for me.”

“Kim! LOOK OUT!” Tanya called out in warning, just a fraction of a second too late to be of help to her teammate.

Billy had to restrain Tommy when Mike’s foot smashed into Kim’s face, her nose immediately pouring blood everywhere as she flew to the mat. “Oh God!” Kat cried out.

Kimberly lay on the ground, groaning, her head spinning dangerously every time she opened her eyes. She struggled not to swallow the blood, and turned on her side, so that she was almost curled into a ball. She took several deep breaths, trying to center her focus on the world around her and not the pain of her injury. As she did so, she reached out to reassure the others over their link that she was fine. Carefully, with the applause of the crowd, she pushed herself to her knees.

“Ms. Hart?” the referee asked.

“I’m fine, just give me a second,” Kim mumbled, reaching up to pinch her nose to stop the bleeding.

“Pick a teammate to continue for you,” he told her sternly.

She saw Mike watching her intently, gloating when his eyes met hers. ‘I’m done holding Tommy back. Mike is about to learn the meaning of pain,’ she thought wickedly to herself. “I pick Tommy.”

Gasps went up from the Rangers as Tommy eased into the ring. The first thing he did was help Kim to her feet and out of the ring before he turned and faced Mike. “Ready Tommy?” Mike taunted.

“He’s a dead man,” Justin uttered from the side of the ring where he stood with Rocky and Adam.

“Oh yeah,” Rocky responded.

Tommy and Mike bowed to each other before they both stepped back. “Going to avenge your little pink whore?” Mike hissed, just low enough for only Tommy to hear as they circled one another.

For once, Tommy didn’t respond verbally, he just moved forward, channeling all his training into defeating Mike. He knew that letting his anger direct his moves would almost surely result in him losing the match, while giving his enemy the satisfaction in knowing he’d not only gotten to Tommy, but that he’d hurt Kimberly.

Mike found himself becoming increasingly frustrated with the White Ranger, who was only fighting the match, not letting their outside differences interfere with the fight. ‘Father, this isn’t working!’ he thought, his message going to his father via their personal connection.

‘Retreat for now, I have a plan’ a voice hissed in reply.

“Point for Red! Match!” the ref called, stopping the fight.

Mike and Tommy bowed before rejoining their teams, but not before Mike uttered, “This isn’t over, Oliver,” as he exited the ring.

Tommy stared him straight in the eyes and coldly spoke, “I’m counting on it.” After parting, Tommy moved over and knelt before Kim, who was sitting with Aisha and Kat. Her bloodied uniform top was off, revealing a pink sports bra. Aisha was holding a rag to her face to staunch the bleeding while Kat was carefully wiping the Pink Ranger’s face with a wet cloth. “Are you alright?” he gently asked.

“He just bruised my pride,” she told him, her voice muffled by the rag, as she reached out to cup his cheek with her clean hand.

It was then that the hotel was suddenly rocked by an explosion and someone shouted, “We’re under attack!”

The Rangers rushed out of the building and looked up into the Sydney skyline. Right there for all to see was a large, black and silver ship, and from an opening in the ship, a horde of Quadrafighters were flying out. As the fighters descended, the ship began to disappear from sight until it was completely gone.

“Looks like a job for those of us with aerial Zords,” Kim sighed, removing the rag she held to her face. Swiping a hand across her nose, she sighed when she saw the bleeding had pretty much stopped.

“Jason, Zack and Kim, you’re with me. The rest of you, keep the civilians calm and watch out for the kids. Tanya, you’re in charge,” Tommy issued orders.

With a nod from the others, the four raced off across the grounds. Seconds later, four high flying Zords streaked across the sky, followed by four multi-colored suited figures leaping up from the group.

A short distance away, a dark cloaked figure stood, an evil smile spreading across its lips, which was the only facial feature visible under the hood. “Bye bye, pesky Rangers.”

The team had no time to react when they suddenly found themselves disappearing.

\--

“Game plan?” Zack wanted to know as the four Rangers maneuvered their high-flying Zords through the air.

“I…um…I haven’t got the slightest idea, to be honest,” Tommy chuckled.

“How about we draw them away from the city?” Kim spoke up, her tone definitely telling the guys they were being dense.

Jason grinned inside his helmet. “Bringing up a topography map now.” The Green Ranger punched a series of buttons on the console in front of him. The three dimensional map came up in front of him, giving him a good view of the surrounding area. “We’ve got a mountain range to the west,” he all but laughed.

“You two up to finding how far you can push your Zords?” Kim’s amused voice could be heard by all.

“I’m game,” Jason cracked.

“Always,” Zack’s laughter echoed through their communications line.

“Zack, you’re with Kim. Jason, you’re with me,” Tommy ordered. “BREAK!”

The four Zords broke into two groups, and drew the Quadrafighters’ fire and attention away from the city. Zack was in the middle of a barrel roll when his Zord was rocked by an explosion. “SHIT!” he yelled, struggling to right his flaming Eagle Zord. His left hand held the control column while his right hand began to punch a series of buttons, his object to stop the fire on his Zord.

“Zack!” Kim all but demanded he respond.

“They hit the tail! I have no idea how much damage they did, I’m still trying to put the fire out before I lose control,” he ground out between gritted teeth.

“Hang on, let me take a look,” Kim’s voice echoed in his cockpit. He watched on his computers as Kim flew the Crane Zord as close to his tail end as she could.

“Well?”

“Superficial. We won’t know the extent of the damage until we start pulling a few maneuvers a few thousand feet higher.”

Grumbling under his breath, Zack nodded though he knew she couldn’t see him. And then he got a good look at the horizon before him and his computer, which showed the Quadrafighters gaining on them. “Guess we’re about to find out, we’re almost to the mountains.”

“If you eject, make sure you turn on your homing beacon so I can grab you when we’re done.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Smart ass,” she laughingly muttered, even as she felt her stomach tighten at the sight of the Eagle Zord steadily climbing higher. “Here we go.”

\--

Not far away, Jason and Tommy were out-flying the bulky Quadrafighters at every turn. Both the Falcon and Dragon Zords had sustained laser fire hits, but neither was critically damaged.

“How are we doing?” Jason called out as he rolled his Zord to the left to avoid falling debris.

“So far so good,” Tommy grinned under his helmet. “Any sign of Kim or Zack?”

Jason pushed a button on his console and swore. “Looks like Zack took a good hit to his tail. He and Kim are about five minutes behind us.”

“Let’s take these guys out and set a trap for the ones gunning for Kim and Zack.”

“Tommy, we’ve got military planes headed in our direction,” Jason notified his best friend.

“This is the Royal Australian Air Force. You are unidentified crafts in our airspace. Identify yourselves.”

Both Rangers rolled their eyes. “This is the White and Green Rangers.”

“I said, identify yourselves!” the pilot ordered. “You have ten seconds to do so, or you will be considered hostile craft and shot down.”

Jason chuckled when Tommy started cursing under his breath. “Plan, Bro?”

“Let them catch up,” Tommy sighed. “It’ll be hard to argue when they see a giant White Falcon and a Green Dragon in mid-flight.”

“So you say.”

“Prepare for…holy…”

“Sounds like they’ve spotted us,” Jason sarcastically informed Tommy.

The White Ranger just shook his head. “Look, you need to head back to your home base, Pilot. We’re being chased by Quadrafighters. The Pink and Gold Rangers are luring them into a trap even as we speak. We’d hate for you and your fighters to get caught in the crossfire.”

“Yes Sir. We’ll evacuate the area immediately,” the pilot responded.

Both Rangers sighed in relief. “Thank you. Rangers out,” Tommy uttered.

\--

“Well?”

“Its done, my lord,” Scorpina spoke up as she entered the bridge. “Michael has sent all but Gold, Green, Pink and White into the desert.”

“Good. As soon as they land, Scorpina, begin phase two of Master Vile’s plan,” Ivan ordered.

“Yes my lord.”

\--

“Go ahead Alpha.”

“Ai yi yi! Kimberly, the others have disappeared from our scanners,” Alpha 5 informed the Pink Ranger.

“What?” Zack’s voice cut into the conversation as he and Kimberly continued to try and take out the Quadrafighters.

There was a pause before the android started again. “One minute they were at the hotel, and now they’re gone. Alpha 6 is trying to find their energy signatures, but we can’t. It’s as if they just vanished into thin air.”

Kim mouthed a cuss word and slammed her fist against the wall of her cockpit. “Alpha 5 alert Tommy and Jason. Zack and I are slightly busy at the moment.”

“Of course. Command out.”

“Kim?” Zack tentatively called.

Heaving a sigh, Kim turned her head toward Zack’s Zord. Through the glass of the cockpits, they locked gazes. “Zack, can you still fire your rockets?”

The Gold Ranger grinned sardonically under his helmet. “Wing-tip rockets are operational.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

\--

The four walked into the lobby and found Kat’s cousin with the kids. “Is everyone alright?” Kim asked.

“Kim!” the kids called out, racing toward her. The Martin kids immediately hugged her, holding on tight. She frowned when she felt them tremble and did her best to physically reassure them that they were alright by hugging them close.

“The others are missing,” Cece explained, worry in her voice and suspicion in her eyes.

Jason moved closer to her, taking her arm firmly in his hand until she turned to look at him. “Are you sure?” he demanded.

“Positive,” she spoke firmly. “My father has looked everywhere, there’s no sign of them.”

Zack stepped closer to her then, hoping to ease her fears. “Monster attacks aren’t new to them; Angel Grove has them all the time,” he pointed out. “They’re probably still hiding.”

Tommy remained silent through it all, his eyes taking in their surroundings and who might be listening to them. When he saw a dark figure in a shadowed corner, his eyes narrowed and his instincts kicked into overdrive. “Cece, how busy are you?”

“Not very, why?”

“Can we leave the kids with you? We’re going to have to go and look for the others, and I don’t want the kids getting lost in the process,” Tommy explained.

“Sure. Dad’s cancelled the rest of the day’s events. Can I take them sight-seeing?”

Tommy smiled at that, hoping to put her at ease. “That’s perfect.” Turning to the kids, he addressed them. “Guys, listen to Ms. Hillard. We’re going to try and see if we can find the others.”

The six kids nodded and headed to their rooms to change and grab their backpacks. Once they were out of earshot, Cece started in on the Rangers. “Alright, what’s going?” she insisted on knowing. “They just up and disappeared.”

“We’re going to find them,” Jason tried to reassure her.

Shaking her head helplessly, she whispered, “Does this have to do with Tanya and Kat having been Zeo Rangers?”

The four stared at her in shocked silence. No one but their parents and Ernie, though it was still suspicion there, knew about their secret. “Say what?” Zack croaked.

“You didn’t know?” Cece asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach at having given away Kat and Tanya’s secret.

“We knew; how did you?” Jason all but barked.

“I found their Zeonizers on Kat’s dresser in high school, when I came for a visit. I’m not stupid, I figured it out. They never told me the full story until just before my graduation. Let me guess, you all were teammates?”

Kim smiled and nodded, hoping to ease the taller brunette’s mind. “Cece, we’re going to find them, I promise. We’ve got help.” With that, the Pink Ranger held up her communicator.

“Oh God,” the Aussie’s eyes grew wide and filled with tears.

“We’ll be back soon, just watch the kids for us, please,” Tommy pleaded with her.

“Of course. You just be careful.”

\--

“Adam?” Tanya called for her husband. When she got no response, she tried shouting for the others. “Kat? Justin? GUYS!”

The Purple Ranger spun around, a slight panic filling her. The group, minus Kim, Tommy, Jason and Zack had been together when they’d been transported to wherever they were. Now, she was alone. Tapping her communicator, she tried to contact the base. All she got was static. “Not good.”

“No, it’s not, little Panther.”

Tanya’s body went on alert and her blood froze. “Who’s there?” She had a pretty good idea, but she wanted to be sure she could draw her opponent out.

“Just your friendly, neighborhood psychopath,” the voice whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver.

The Purple Ranger swung out with her arm, only to find no one was behind her. “SHOW YOURSELF!” she demanded.

“I think not,” the voice laughed. “Have fun finding your way home.” Seconds later, her world went black.

\--

Kim shivered when the four Zords streaked away, leaving the four Rangers standing in the middle of the Australian Outback. “Someone want to explain how the hell we’re supposed to find the others?” Zack wanted to know.

“Alpha 5 said the last trace of the others was out here,” Tommy reminded him.

“How was he able to trace them?” Jason asked, still slightly confused on the technical aspects of what Alpha had done while they’d been looking for the others.

Kim touched his arm and smiled. “Kat and I are still connected, even though she has her own animal spirit now.”

The Green Ranger nodded. Kat and Kim would probably always have that connection, he surmised, because they’d shared an intense power on such intimate levels at one time. While he, Zack and Trini had shared powers with Rocky, Adam and Aisha, it had never been on the same level that the Pink and Orange Rangers had. The Ninjetti powers were far more connected to their owners than the original Ranger powers had been.

“What now, oh fearless leader?” Zack questioned Tommy.

“Jason and Zack, head east. Kim and I will go west. If you don’t find anything in the next three hours, meet back here and we’ll go from there,” commanded the White Ranger as he handed out their orders.

The other three simply nodded and followed his plan, splitting into two groups.

\--

An hour and a half into their trek, Jason and Zack stopped to rest. The Green Ranger paced back and forth like a caged tiger while the Gold Ranger sat on a rock and rested. “Jase, pacing isn’t going to find her any faster. Besides that, you’re making me dizzy and scaring the hell out of me.”

The Green Ranger had the grace to blush at his friend’s words. He stopped pacing and turned to face Zack. Staring at one of his childhood best friends, he could only wonder how said friend was dealing with the situation. “You okay?”

“Worried,” Zack admitted. “We haven’t exactly had too many group tests of being split up where we didn’t know what was on the other side waiting for us.”

Jason nodded and turned to scan the horizon. The sun was directly more than past overhead by then, telling him it was later in the afternoon. “Let’s head back,” he finally spoke up. When he got no response he turned back to Zack, only to discover that the Gold Ranger was no longer with him. “Zack!”

“Time to see what you’re made of, little pathetic dragon. Good luck!” a voice hissed in his ear before the world went dark.

\--

“Okay, I’m getting worried,” Kim huffed as she and Tommy stopped.

“They’re here somewhere. It’s sand and hills, Kim, they won’t be hard to spot,” Tommy reassured her.

The Pink Ranger glared at her boyfriend. “Guess what, oh fearless one? You forgot one key element.”

“And that is?”

“Evil magic.”

The White Ranger found he had no comeback for that. “Good point.” Spotting a fairly decent sized boulder, Kim bounced over to sit down, her feet finally having had enough and her head swimming. Closing her eyes, she leaned back. “Beautiful, are you alright?”

“Dizzy from the nose bleed,” she told him. “What I wouldn’t give for a pool right now.” After a few minutes and no response from Tommy, Kim opened her eyes and found him no where in sight. “TOMMY!”

“No one can save you now, Pink whore. Have fun in the Outback!” Before the Pink Ranger could react, her world went dark.

\--

Groaning at the stifling heat surrounding her, the blonde haired Orange Ranger rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. Looking around, she noticed the dense jungle she was laying in. “What the hell?” she muttered, pushing up on her elbows. “How’d I get from the hotel to a jungle?”

Worry and fear shot through her, causing her to bring her left wrist up. Her eyes widened when she saw the limb devoid of her communicator. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Fully sitting up, she reached behind her and found her morpher missing as well. “Oh, shit.” She brought her hands up to cover her face while she tried to think logically about her situation. She fought back the panic, but it was getting increasingly hard not to want to sit there and have a good cry. It had been a long time now, since she’d felt this powerless.

“Trust your heart.”

Kat’s head snapped up and she looked around the small clearing she was in for a source for the voice she’d just heard and found none. Shaking her head, she wondered if the panic was making her hear things.

“Trust you heart.”

She knew she’d heard that voice, and still no one was with her in the clearing. “Trust my heart?” she muttered in question. “Okay.”

Shaking her head, the Orange Ranger pushed to her feet and took in her surroundings. Closing her eyes, she let her heart guide her. Feeling a familiar tug on her link with the others, she smiled. Turning toward a barely visible path in the foliage, Kat plunged into the unknown.

\--

The first thing the Red Ranger’s eyes took in was the ground, far, far below him. The second thing his eyes noticed was the tree branch he was precariously perched on, the one that was all that was standing between him and a long, hard fall.

“HOLY SHIT!” he freaked out, before his common sense kicked in and told him to calm down. “I hate trees,” he uttered crossly, his mind momentarily going back to the one time as a child when Aisha had dared him to climb a tree and he’d fallen and nearly broken his neck. Carefully, so as not to fall, he climbed down the tree, finding himself in a cold, dense forest.

“Guys?” he called out for his friends, hoping one of them was nearby. “Guys! This isn’t funny!” he yelled.

When no one answered, he felt a spear of panic stab his gut. Bringing up his wrist, he felt that panic slide into terror when he saw his communicator wasn’t where it should have been. As if by chance, he reached for his morpher and felt his stomach tighten even more when he discovered he didn’t have it. His first thought was to look around the clearing for them both, but deep down, he knew he wouldn’t find them. “No communicator, no morpher, means I’m on my own,” he sighed heavily.

“Trust your instincts.”

Rocky’s head snapped up and he peered around the small clearing surrounding the tree. There was no trace of a person being anywhere near him, no movement in the bushes of even any animal that could be intelligent enough to have spoken those words. “You’re seriously going crazy, Rocko,” he told himself.

“Trust your instincts.”

One eyebrow cocked, Rocky uttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.” Shaking his head, he did the only thing he could think of – he sat on the ground and began to meditate. Closing his eyes, he opened all his other senses to the world around him. It was then that he felt the faint tug on his link with the others, particularly Aisha and Adam. Jumping up, he headed off into the forest in the direction he knew that tug was coming from.

\--

“The job is done,” Mike cracked, grinning like a maniac as he walked into his father’s quarters.

“One phase is, yes,” Master Vile told him, smiling. “Now, if Ooze can get his act together, we’ll be able to go ahead with our other plan.”

“I want them both to suffer – him to watch me make her mine completely, and her to watch me kill him, slowly.”

Vile’s smile was even wickeder than before. “In due time, my son, in due time. For now, we wait for the others to perish, so that they don’t interfere with our plans.”

“It won’t be long; they’re in the desert, distracted by dark magic. They won’t survive long out there without food and water.”

“Good, let’s begin the next phase of our plans.”

\--

“Are you sure, Alpha?” the question from the Red Space Ranger had the android nodding. If he’d had eyes, Alpha 5 knew he’d have probably rolled them at Andros.

“I’m positive. We lost contact with Tommy, Jason, Zack and Kim about four hours ago. Just like the others, their energy signatures just up and vanished.”

The Red Space Ranger sighed heavily and sat back in his chair. “All right. Lost Galaxy is helping us repair the Megaship now. Trey and Aurico are on standby, and I’ve had Leo call Carter and Wes. All of the teams are on standby at this point.”

It still amazed Alpha that humans had finally tapped into the Morphin’ Grid without assistance from alien technology. It was even more incredible that he’d managed to keep them a secret from Zordon’s Rangers, but it had been Zordon’s wish that those who’d served under him would be able to lead peaceful normal lives after their time in uniform was over. If Alpha knew one thing, it was going to be that the Morphin Rangers weren’t going to be happy about being kept in the dark, especially given how many teams were actually on Earth now.

“Alpha 5, have you even told them about the others?” Andros suddenly asked.

“No,” the little android responded. “They’re dealing with enough as it is, I couldn’t heap on the fact that there have been three other teams since yours without angering them. They’ll be told in due time, but for now, can I please have those frequencies?”

Andros nodded, though he didn’t agree with Alpha; Tommy and Jason both would be upset that they hadn’t been told. “Transmitting now.”

“Thank you, Andros. Alpha 5 out.”

\--

The dread welled so fiercely and so fast that she didn’t have time to shove it down. Her heart felt empty and the warm feeling that she’d had in the pit of her stomach since she and Tommy had gotten back together was gone. She couldn’t sense Jason’s constant reassurance or Trini’s calming presence. Vaguely, she could feel Tommy and Billy, but every time she tried to grab onto it, the feeling seemed to disappear like smoke.

“This can’t be happening,” she uttered in disbelief, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself. Everything she’d learned in therapy fled, everything she’d worked so hard to hold onto and get over was drown out by the sheer intensity of fear.

“Trust your heart, Kimberly,” a soft voice whispered, the sound floating to her ears gently.

“What?” she called out, eyes opening as she spun around in a circle. No one was there, which made her feel even more alone that before. She could have sworn…

“Trust your heart; it will never steer you wrong.”

“Trust my heart?” she repeated out loud. How could she trust her heart? The voice was wrong, it had steered her wrong, once, a long time ago. She was still dealing with the consequences of that misstep; she wasn’t about to trust something that had led her down a path she never wanted to travel ever again.

The voice came again, this time more insistent. “The heart always leads you back to where you belong.”

Closing her eyes again, the Pink Ranger attempted to block everything else around her out save for the steady beat of her own heart. ‘Tommy? Billy?’ she reached out along the Rangers’ common path to the two she could just barely feel. A sudden tug on her heart sent her off in the direction she knew they were in.

\--

After hours of climbing around in the deserted mountains, Justin let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the ground in a spot clear of snow and pine needles. He was lost, tired, hungry, and irritated. He hadn’t seen any sign of his friends since they’d disappeared from the hotel together.

He kept telling himself he was a Power Ranger, and this was par for the course, but he couldn’t keep the swelling terror completely down. He had no communicator, no morpher, and it was as if the link shared between him and the others was suddenly gone, which he’d thought was impossible given the magic that bound them together.

“I hate this!” he hissed, jumping up and kicking a nearby boulder. He let out a gasp of shock when he felt phantom arms around him and Kat’s soothing voice in his ears. “Kat? Tanya?” he murmured, closing his eyes. His adopted parents and sister meant the world to him, but Kat and Tanya had been the first to be friend, mother and sister, to be family to him after the death of his own some years before. As close as he was to Kim, Trini and Aisha, he was closer to the two women who had first taken him under their wings.

“Trust your mind, Justin.”

He spun around, looking for signs of whomever had said that but found none. “The hell you mean ‘trust my mind’? I’m losing what’s left of it.”

“Trust, and you shall see.”

He felt suddenly calm and then vaguely felt the girls. Shaking his head, the Beige Ranger took off running for the bottom of the mountain.

\--

Billy’s logical mind told him there was no way he could have gone from the hotel to a forest in the blink of an eye. The part of him that had come to truly believe in the magic of being a Power Ranger knew it was more than possible. For once, he closed down the scientific part of himself and opened his senses to the world around him. He felt the light breeze, smelled the pine trees, heard the chatter of squirrels and the chirps of the birds, but there was no one save himself in the clearing.

“Okay, the most logical place for everyone to be is where?” he asked himself out loud as he looked around. It was then that he realized that not only did he not have his communicator or morpher but he couldn’t feel Trini, or any of the other Rangers. Alarm began to spread through him. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and dug down into his well of power. He still couldn’t feel them the way he had at the hotel; when they were together at the hotel, it was like carrying a bright, shinning star inside of his heart, and now it felt like a lightning bug in a jar, slowly dying. He could feel faint traces of Tommy and Kimberly’s power, and almost chucked it up to the fact that they were the most bonded, therefore their powers were undeniably stronger to locate, but somehow he knew better.

“Trust your mind.”

Billy blinked and looked around for the source of the voice. He still saw no one though he knew he’d heard a voice. “Hello?” he called out. “Anyone there?”

No one answered, causing Billy to shiver. “Trust your mind,” he heard the voice whisper again.

“What?” he muttered. Blinking, he thought about the words the voice kept saying. ‘Trust my mind?’ Quietly, he looked around, began calculating the wind factor, the probability of direction, and once he was satisfied, he headed off in the direction, straight into the forest, that he believed the others were in.

\--

The first thing to pierce the darkness was the soreness that sank bone deep. The second was the smell of pine trees and the brisk coldness nipping the air. With a groan, the Green Ranger cracked an eye open and looked at the world around him. “Desert to Forest and Mountains, gotta love it,” he groaned as he rolled onto his chest before pushing up to his feet.

Looking around, Jason knew in his heart that the others wouldn’t be anywhere near him, not after the way they’d all suddenly disappeared; naturally they’d be separated from each other. Lifting his arm, his jaw dropped when he noticed his communicator was gone. When he reached around for his morpher, he almost instantly knew it wouldn’t be there. “Rita’s island all over again,” he huffed. As he searched the immediate area for signs of the others, he thought about his situation. He knew that eventually he was going to need food and shelter, given the time of day and the cold winds that seemed to drill right through his karate uniform.

“Trust your instincts.”

Letting out a sigh, Jason stood perfectly still, closed his eyes, evened out his breathing, and opened his senses. Almost immediately, he felt a slight tug from Trini and a fainter one from Zack, but none from the others. When he reached out to his childhood best friends, to use that link between them to find them, he felt the link itself just simply fade away and shut off. Something was going on, and he intended to find out what.

“Trust your instincts.”

Opening his eyes, Jason looked at the well beaten path up the mountain and then the barely visible one leading through the forest and down into the valley beyond. Decision time. While normally he’d have gone up the mountain, something was tugging on him, pulling him toward that downward path.

\--

With a shaky breath, Dulcea sank to her knees. Dizziness rocketed through her, making her stomach clench as her last meal attempted to revisit her, and leaving her weaker than she’d ever felt before. To ease the tension in her body, and attempt to hold down her food, she took several deep, cleansing breaths before she opened her eyes. The light blue figure before her had knelt as well, and she could feel his power arcing between them, feeding her what strength he could even though he was not physically with her.

“Dulcea?” Her name was whispered so softly she almost hadn’t heard him. She smiled sadly when he reached out to touch her cheek and only felt a whisper of his power.

“Six have been set on their course, but it should not have taken that much energy, even this far away,” she wheezed out finally, noting that she still felt unstable after having given so much of herself to help their young charges.

“When you started, there was no dark magic attacking you,” he explained. “While you were under, your body seized.”

“Master Vile,” she stated, watching him nod. “And something else. I felt it, there on the edges, just waiting to strike.”

“The youngest of his brood,” the figure told her. “And unfortunately, he’s the most normal and yet, the most psychotic.”

Dulcea’s eyes darkened. “Normal? One of Vile’s children? It’s just not possible.”

He nodded. “I’m afraid so. He’s the one, Dulcea, the one who clipped the Crane’s wings.”

Anger so fierce and so hard grabbed the Master Warrior by the throat. She would do anything in her power to damn this being, to keep him from touching the Crane once again. “Ninjor, I need to help the others. If she has any chance to be free of him…”

The Blue Ninja nodded in agreement. “Draw on my power if you must; we shall protect the Crane until the others are able once more.”

“Thank you, old friend.”

\--

The second he opened his eyes, Adam swore he was on Phadoes again. The canopy of a dense jungle loomed overhead and the dark, moist scent of the jungle floor rose up around him. When he saw a Cockatiel fly overhead, he knew he was still on Earth. Sitting up, he felt the intense, empty feeling in his chest, where his heart was, where he’d always felt his friends. He blinked back the pain of their absence, unconsciously rubbing his hand over his chest, and concentrated on trying to re-forge the link.

Briefly, his connection to Rocky and Aisha flared to life, but by the time he tried to trace it, the feeling had disappeared. He was left once again feeling lonely and incomplete.

“Trust your heart.”

Spinning around, the Black Ranger looked for the owner of the voice. His gaze narrowed and his body tensed when he saw no one. He knew that voices often had owners, and seldom came from the dead with advice like that. It made him suspicious.

“Trust your heart.”

He had a seriously sarcastic reply for that on the tip of his tongue – how was he supposed to trust his empty heart? He couldn’t feel his friends or his wife, he was lost and upon further inspection, much to his dismay he was missing both morpher and communicator. “Right, this isn’t good,” he muttered crossly.

“Adam, trust your heart.”

He frowned; he knew that voice from somewhere! Taking a deep breath, Adam closed his eyes and dug deep for the power he knew in his heart resided in his body. It was then that the bond between him, Aisha and Rocky flared to life again. He gave a gasp and had just enough time to get a general direction from it before the link faded out again. With a grin, he tore off down the unseen path towards his friends.

\--

As far as her keen eyes could see, Trini saw barren plains in all directions. She knew it wasn’t impossible, but she’d been in a large city, and she knew there was no place like this remotely close to where she’d been. Quietly, she sat down and logically went over everything in her head. They’d been at the hotel with the kids while Tommy, Jason, Zack and Kim had gone out on a mission to draw the Quadrafighters away from Sydney and destroy them. Next thing she knew, she was in the middle of what looked like a barren version of the African Plains. There wasn’t an animal or person in sight. “At this point, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if my animal spirit suddenly showed up,” she cracked to herself, chuckling a little.

Reaching for her wrist, she felt her heart suddenly freeze – no communicator where there should have been one. “Wow, Vile and Ooze are taking a page out of Rita’s book now. I’ll bet I don’t have my morpher either.” She didn’t bother to act surprised when she didn’t find the object in question. Slowly letting the air leave her lungs before dragging it back in, the Turquoise Ranger attempted to even her breathing and enter a meditative state.

“Trust your mind.”

Large, almond colored eyes widened as the pretty Asian Ranger looked around her. No one was even remotely close enough to her to have spoken those words so softly in her ear. “I’m losing my mind, hearing voices that aren’t there.” Shaking her head, Trini closed her eyes again and dug for her power. Nothing happened. The place in her soul where her friends were a constant was empty; it felt strange after months of never truly feeling alone to have gone back to that.

“Trust your mind.”

Her eyes snapped open a second time as she looked around. Tentatively she called out, “Hello?”

“Trust your mind, Trini.”

This time, the voice was accompanied by a sudden flair of familiar power – Jason and Zack. Scrambling to her feet, Trini reached for the link only to find it fading before she could get more than a taste. Gritting her teeth, the Turquoise Ranger replayed the surge of power to herself, over and over again, and then began a dangerous sprint in the direction it had come from.

\--

Tanya felt the moist heat saturate her skin. One second she was in the desert, the next she was in a jungle, practically in a sauna. “I know this isn’t right,” she grumbled. “Guys? Adam? Kat? ANYBODY?”

When no one answered, she immediately moved to use her communicator to find them, only to discover her communicator wasn’t there. “Wonderful,” she huffed out. Reaching behind her, she found her morpher missing as well. “Damn it, I’m all on my own.”

“Trust your instincts.”

Blinking in surprise, Tanya spun around, expecting someone to be there. No one was, which set her on alert. “Hello? Is somewhere there? Can you help me?”

When the only answer she received was eerie silence, Tanya reached for her Ninja Powers, only to feel them blocked, along with any hope of finding the others. However, the power briefly lit up in her soul, smacking of familiar presences. Kat. Justin.

“Trust your instincts.”

Shrugging, and without a second thought, Tanya lunged into the bushes at full speed, just like her spirit animal.

\--

Pine trees, snow, and clear blue skies greeted Zack’s eyes when they opened. He lay on the pine needle covered ground and attempted to get his bearings. For some unexplainable reason, he felt strangely empty, like he had after transferring his power to Adam years before. He clenched his eyes shut and dug deep for his Ninja powers. He felt a small wave of vibration, which he was able to identify as Jason and Trini, but other than that, nothing.

Sighing, he sat up and brought his left wrist up, only to find no communicator. “Oh hell no,” he muttered, dread curling wickedly in his stomach. Reaching behind him, he began to clamp down on the panic and feat that came with discovering with his morpher missing. “Not again!” he winced.

Resigned to the situation, the Gold Ranger forced himself to his feet and looked around. The area around him looked like no human had ever touched it. There were no paths through the thick density of the trees.

“Trust your heart.”

Zack’s eyes narrowed as he slowly turned in circles, looking for whoever spoke. “Who’s there?”

Silence followed. Zack felt the tension fill his whole body as he searched for the speaker. “Hello?”

“Trust your heart.”

Pushing the chaotic feelings down, Zack pondered the words. His heart? A grim expression formed on his face. Images of the time Rita had sent the team to the Island Of Illusion came rushing back. He would never forget the helplessness of not being able to contact Zordon or being unable to morph. But the team had overcome that, by believing in themselves enough to get past their worst fears. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t much different. His friends were his heart; the family they’d made was everything to him. A smile drifted across his lips and then he let out a gasp; he felt Jason and Trini so strongly for a second, as if they were right next to him.

Turning, Zack began making his way through the trees, hoping he’d find his friends down the path his heart was telling him to go down, and soon.

\--

Curled on the hard ground, she awoke, groggy and disoriented. The last thing she remembered was being at the hotel, worried about those who’d gone to face their enemy. “Okay, not good,” she muttered, feeling like she’d been drugged. Shaking her head, Aisha pushed herself up to a sitting position. What she found was a mountain behind her and a snow covered forest before her. Bringing her left arm up, she quickly discovered her communicator was gone. She took two calm, cleansing breaths and reached for her morpher. Gone. Her mind went blank; she knew she needed to remain calm.

“Trust your mind.”

Eyes narrowed while she carefully scanned the area around her. No movement caught her eyes. ‘I must be losing it’ she wryly thought, shaking her head at herself. Sighing, she stood; dizziness swamped her, accompanied by the empty feeling in her chest. ‘Guys?’ she called out over their link, only to find the link was empty. ‘Rocky? Adam?’ No response and her blood ran cold.

“Trust your mind, Mother Bear.”

Aisha gasped softly, recognizing the voice. Trust her mind? Pursing her lips, she let her eyes roam the forest. Almost invisible among the snow and fallen trees, her eyes spotted a path, no bigger than a foot width in size, leading into the vegetation. With determination filling her, Aisha began to make her way down the path.

\--

He was home. That was the first thought that popped into his head. He was standing on the same mountain where he’d discovered his true heritage and his brother years before. The sun beat down the same, the air smelled the same, and he could see the animals moving to find shade from the sun. But despite the similarities, there was one blaring difference – something inside felt empty. He’d felt so full the day he’d discovered his past, but he didn’t feel that way now.

He and Kim had just been talking about her nosebleed, he remembered, and now she was gone and he was supposedly all the way back in Stone Canyon. Something wasn’t right. Turning, he called to his friends but found an eerie silence bouncing back at him from where they should have been. Swallowing, Tommy frantically reached for Kimberly and felt nothing. He jerked his wrist upwards and moaned in disbelief when he saw no communicator. Instinct alone kept him from reaching for his morpher, knowing it wouldn’t be there. This had happened before, once, a long time ago. Even as memories swept him away, he heard the voice.

“Trust your instincts.”

His body went taut; he knew that voice. Turning carefully, he scanned the mountain around him for the familiar figure. He found no one. Grumbling under his breath, Tommy carefully made his way off the mountain to the desert below. Sam’s and David’s house wasn’t far away, he’d just hike there. Even as he made the hike down, the landscape changed. Stopping after ten minutes, he grunted his anger and looked around. It was as if he’d made no progress.

“Trust your instincts.”

Closing his eyes, Tommy centered himself, his mind forming a plan of action, and then he felt Kim and Billy across their link. His eyes snapped open, blazing white, and he leapt off the mountain before landing lightly on his feet. Surprise was still there even as he began to sprint away.

\--

Ninjor gasped when Dulcea collapsed in the center of the circle of power they’d called. “Dulcea?”

“I’ve done all I can,” she rasped weakly. “It’s up to them now.”

Nodding, the Blue Ninja closed his eyes and shot his power out of his body, hurling it toward the Rangers.

\--

“FATHER!”

Master Vile growled. “That wretched witch Dulcea and bumbling ninja Ninjor are trying to help them!”

“I thought you said they wouldn’t make it out of this?” Mike demanded. “I want to torture the two of them with no interference!”

Master Vile rounded on his son, snarling. “Don’t take that tone with me, you insignificant offspring. They may have gotten help, but that doesn’t mean they’ll escape!”

Mike stood watching as his father stormed from the room. His father was a prime example of why the Rangers had always won – he underestimated them and overestimated himself. The humans were a rare species – they hardly gave up, they made the sacrifice of self when all other options were extinguished, and they loved selflessly. It would take time, but his plan to undermine their faith, their courage, and their trust in one another, but he would. He’d succeed where others had failed.

He’d destroy the Rangers right down to the core.


End file.
